Stolen Dreams
by shasta53
Summary: Bella and Edward were ready to become parents as seniors in high school, but tragedy ended their dreams and pulled them apart. Ten years later, they reunite, but all is not what it seems. ExB
1. Chapter 1

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer still owned Twilight the last time I checked. I own this story line because it came from my twisted little mind, but her stuff, is alas, still hers. **

**A/N: I'm ba-ack! Is that ominous, or what? I've finally finished my first full length original novel and I wanted to get this little thread out of my head before I start on the next one. I don't think it's going to be as long as the other two, but what do I know? It's not like I outline or anything. Thanks to Jenny Cullen for beta-ing. On with the show!**

**Chapter One**

"_Bella, honey, you have to push for me now," Dr. Gerandy instructed from between my legs. I was covered in sweat, and my entire body hurt. _

"_Please," I begged, "you have to give me something. It hurts so bad."_

"_It's too late to give you anything else, Bella," Mrs. Mallory said from her position by my side. _

"_But the drugs you gave me before didn't do anything," I wailed. _

_Mrs. Mallory gave me a small, sad smile and wiped my forehead with her hand. _

"_Bella, when this next contraction hits, I need you to push. The baby's head is crowning, and we need to get him out now," Dr. Gerandy instructed. _

_The pain peaked, and I pushed for all my small body was worth. I barely heard the doctor say that the head was out and to hold so he could unwrap the cord before I was pushing again. As the baby's shoulders pushed from my body, black spots dotted my vision, and I panted, trying to hang in there. The sweetest sound in the world, my baby's first cries, met my ears, before everything went black._

I woke with a start, just like I did every time I had that dream. Cold sweat poured down my back, making my tank top stick to my skin, and I struggled to rein in my tears. The dream was always the same, and I'd had it several times over the years. Each time, I talked to my therapist about it, wondering if it was a memory rather than a dream, but they always concluded that it was most likely my subconscious mind's way of dealing with my loss. If I couldn't accept that he'd been stillborn, then perhaps it wasn't true. I knew that my planned return home this weekend had brought it back, but knowing that didn't make me feel any less unsettled.

The heavy arm around my waist pinned me to the bed. Behind me, Edward slumbered, unaware of my turmoil, and I was loathe to wake him. He didn't get much sleep as it was. Carefully, I extracted myself from his embrace and padded to the bathroom. I tried dousing my face in cold water to wash away the dream. It didn't work. My mind still whirred around the images in my head, and my racing heart hadn't slowed much.

Instead of crawling back into bed, where I knew I'd only lay awake, I slipped out of the room and walked to the kitchen of my apartment. Pre-dawn light streamed through the large windows, highlighting the remnants of the meal Edward and I had shared before practically attacking each other. I smiled at the memory, my heart racing for other reasons now. Over the intervening years, our passion for each other hadn't waned; if anything, it'd only gotten stronger.

"Gah!" I shouted as I turned the corner into the kitchen. My roommate was sitting at the kitchen table in her bathrobe. We'd been best friends since I moved to Forks just before my freshman year of high school, and after college, we'd just stayed together. "Allie, what are you doing up already? It's barely five in the morning!"

"I could ask you the same thing, missy," Alice teased. "Don't you have a hot man in your bed right now?"

"Couldn't sleep," I mumbled, pouring myself a cup of coffee and inhaling the rich aroma. The final fog of my dream was being pushed aside by the strong smell.

Alice looked at me critically. "Hmm. The dream again?"

I nodded. Alice had comforted many times over the years when I woke up alone and crying. "I haven't had it in so long, but with Edward back in my life, it's brought it all up again."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Alice asked.

"No." I shook my head. "It was almost ten years ago, Allie. We're both trying to find each other again, and that's a part of our past that needs to stay there. I will always love Ryan, and I will miss him until the day I die, but I can't let what happened intrude on what we have now. We're both finally starting to move on. We _need_ to move on."

Alice hummed, indicating that she'd heard me but didn't necessarily agree. After I brought Edward home for the first time, Alice had expressed her concern that we had never dealt with our history together and that it would cause issues later. She'd firmly told me many times that shoving Ryan's birth and death aside wouldn't do much for either of us. I'd insisted that Edward and I did talk about him, but that we wanted a fresh start and to get to know each other as the people we are now.

"Well, I needed to read through these contracts again before my meeting at nine," Alice finally declared, changing the subject so as not to start a disagreement. Alice read in silence for a few more seconds, and then turned to me as I sat down at the table. "What do you think, Bella? You've seen the designer and his clothes. Angel says they'll fit right in with the rest of our lines, but I think they're a little . . . out there."

I laughed. "You know me, Alice. I think everything in your shop is a little 'out there.' Paul's clothes scream 'Look at me, I'm a weirdo,' though. You'll sell them to those spoiled rich girls that are trying to be avant-garde, but no normal person would wear them. If you choose to carry his line, don't buy too many pieces. They won't sell quickly, and you'll have capital tied up in merchandise that you'll have to discount later."

"Remind me why you didn't get your business degree and run this store with me?" Alice asked, still scanning the document in her hands.

"Because high end fashion doesn't help anyone," I teased. "I, on the other hand, make people's lives better every day by letting them get out all their petty problems." I didn't really see my patient's problems as petty—on the contrary, some were fairly serious—but it was fun to tease Alice.

"You love listening to those petty problems, though," a gravelly voice said from the doorway. "Gossip girl."

I blushed, but couldn't contain my grin. When we were in high school, I had been the girl that ate up the gossip about everyone in school. I never repeated it, except to Alice, especially once Edward and I started dating during our sophomore year of high school. I'd loved to hear what people said about my new friends and me. The petty rumors were usually pretty damn funny.

When I looked up at him, I felt the familiar flutters in my stomach. Edward's broad shoulders and defined muscles never failed to make my body stand up and take notice. Heck, his body had done that when we were in high school, and he didn't look half as good then as he did now.

"Good morning, Edward," Alice sang, her voice cheerful as she gathered up her papers to make room for him at the table.

"Is she always like this in the morning?" he asked as he plopped down in the chair next to me with his coffee cup firmly in hand.

"Pretty much," I told him ruefully. "Usually, I just avoid her until dinnertime."

"Bitch," Alice teased, throwing a crumpled up napkin at my head. "You know you love me."

"Alas, it's true," I said with a fake sigh. "Sorry, Edward. Alice here has stolen my heart from me."

"Well, she'll just have to give it back to me," he answered. "I don't recall letting you have it back in the first place." He winked at me and kissed the side of my head.

Inside, I swooned like I did every time this big strong man made sweet little comments like that. I laughed at his corny line to keep the mood light. It was a testament to how far we'd come that mentions of when he'd taken my heart before didn't send us both spiraling downward. My fingers tangled with his underneath the table and squeezed, though, in happiness. He grinned at me and took a sip of his coffee.

"Okay, you two," Alice said. "I'm going to get ready for work. And I don't want to have to sanitize the kitchen tonight!" Her cackles could be heard trailing behind her as she made her way to her bathroom down the hall.

"Speaking of work . . ." Edward said.

"You have to go in already?" I asked, whining slightly.

"If I'm going to take tomorrow off for the reunion, I have to get some stuff done," he answered. "Jasper brought in a new government contract last week."

"That's what, the fourth one this month?" I asked, impressed.

Edward shrugged. "They like to hire their own, and for better or worse, Jazz and I are still their own." He kissed the top of my head as he stood from the table. "Do you still want to head up to Forks tonight?"

"That was my plan, but call me when you get done today. My last appointment is at two, so I should be home by four." I watched in disappointment as he threw on his old, ratty, Army t-shirt and grabbed his laptop case. "If we have time, I'll make dinner before we head out."

"Sounds great, babe." Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. "I love you," he whispered.

"Love you, too," I responded with a small smile.

To anyone watching, it might have seemed like a normal parting for a couple of lovers, but to us, to be able to say the words to each other again face to face, it was the world. After the worst moment in our lives, we'd been forcibly separated and had remained that way for ten years. With him in front of me again, I vowed to never let that happen again.

**This is the shortest chapter. I'm sure I don't have to tell any of my returning readers that I'm a wordy mo-fo, so don't get used to this. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my best to answer! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I know. I can't believe it either. Who knew? That said, she still owns it and I don't. I do, however, own the ideas behind this story and I would appreciate it if they weren't used without my permission. That would be stealing. And stealing is wrong. **

**A/N: First, I would like to thank the lovely Kassiah for pre-reading and Jenny Cullen for her beta duties. These two ladies are about as awesome as they come. Any mistakes you see are mine, because I fiddled with it after I got it back. **

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I am looking forward to taking this journey with you, too. I do read each and every review that comes through, but if you want me to post faster or ever finish this story, I can't respond to each one. That said, I will answer any questions I can and I do take everything you say to heart. **

**Chapter 2**

After running my daily three miles on the treadmill, I took a few minutes to record my morning in my journal. Anna, the first therapist my father had dragged me to, had suggested it as a way to purge my feelings a few months after Ryan's death. I'd kept the habit up. All of the old ones were in a box in my closet, but I rarely touched them, not wanting to be taken back to the worst time of my life. As I stowed my journal away and grabbed my suitcase, I ran my finger over the flap of the box, considering opening them again to fortify myself against the overwhelming feelings I was sure would inundate me throughout the weekend.

I didn't have long to myself after packing, as my first appointment was at nine. After graduating with my PhD, I'd been invited to join a growing psychology practice that specialized in family therapy. Each partner had our own specialties: Zafrina in marriage counseling, Irina in child psychology, and me in teenage counseling. My patients ran the gamut from superstition crazed athletes to young mothers.

Tina, a shy, seventeen year-old victim of bullying was already sitting in my waiting room when I arrived. I spent the entire hour listening to how she coped with her tormentors during the week, and I was thrilled to find that she was learning how to deal with it on her own, without turning their malicious jibes inward. It wasn't an easy feat for an introspective teenager with self-esteem issues.

Several hours, two appointments—including a mildly autistic young man and a sixteen year old boy with anger issues—and lunch later, I found myself sitting in my last appointment of the day. My own. I'd asked Zafrina to see me before I left; I needed the extra strength.

"Are you ready for this weekend, Bella?" Zafrina asked casually after I told her about the reoccurrence of the dream. Zafrina and I had been close since I started seeing her in college. While our relationship had blossomed after my graduation, I was unwilling to part with one of the few women I really trusted, though she would now be my partner and colleague.

"Yes and no." I sighed. "Edward is excited about going, and there's a part of me that is, too. The last time I really spent any time there, though, was right after I gave birth. Forks is a small town, and every time I went out, all I heard were whispers about how sad it was that the Chief's daughter had gotten knocked up and lost the baby. Add that to the gossip about Edward leaving so suddenly, and it was its own version of Hell."

"Have you talked to Edward about how that time was for you?"

My shoulders slumped. "A bit here and there. It's just . . . it was so long ago. I hate to ruin what we have now by digging all that back up."

"Do you feel like it's affecting your relationship now?" Zafrina asked.

We'd talked about this when Edward and I first starting dating again.

I shook my head and answered honestly. "No, not really. It's been amazing to get to know him as the man he is now. We still have that shared history, but we're both very different people than we were then."

"You have certainly grown up a lot from when we first met. I do want you to promise me, though, that you will talk to him or call me if you get overwhelmed this weekend," Zafrina requested. "In fact, I can almost guarantee that you will."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, somewhat sarcastically. We both knew I would do so if I needed it. "Oh! Did I tell you about Mom's last visit?"

"No." Zafrina giggled. "What happened?"

"She came into the apartment and rearranged while Alice and I were at work. Claimed that our 'feng shui' was off and she needed to cleanse our space. Alice's favorite chair ended up in a corner in the guest room, because Mom swore it wouldn't fit anywhere. She went shopping and bought all of this weird food that no one knew how to cook. It was the strangest three days I've spent in years." I laughed.

"Phil didn't come with her?"

"No, he had some big game to coach. Frankly, I think he likes it when she comes to visit me. It gets her out of his hair for a little while and gives him a break," I told her. I loved my mom, but she could be a lot to handle. Phil, the man she'd married when I was in eighth grade, had kept her grounded for a long time, but I was sure that it exhausted him sometimes.

"Did you get to enjoy your time with her?" Zafrina asked.

"I did," I said with a smile. "She's so flighty that sometimes, it's nice to just live on her wavelength for awhile."

We talked a little more, and then called it a day. Zafrina urged me to have fun over the weekend, and I went back into my own office to finish up my notes for the weekend. As I'd predicted that morning, I left the office around three-thirty and went home to make some dinner for Alice, Edward, and me. Alice wasn't coming down until the next morning, but she couldn't cook to save her life.

Alice came home just as I was throwing pan of shepherd's pie in the oven. "You are a godsend," she moaned. "I haven't eaten since breakfast. Paul haggled with me all day. I am seriously starting to think that Angel is getting some kickback from him, because she badgered me continuously about adding his collection."

"I told you to watch her," I said. "She's sneaky and conniving."

Alice sighed, but conceded. "Unless I can find someone to replace her that's willing to work the same hours, though, I'm stuck with her and her Goth-ness."

I laughed at the disgust in Alice's tone. Angel, Alice's assistant and primary clerk, was the antithesis of Alice. She had dyed black hair that she kept plastered to her head, large gauges in each ear, and a lip ring. She did follow Alice's edict to dress only in the shop's fashions, but she managed to find every black item they sold and only wore those.

"Check with the school of design over at UW. They might have some girls that want to intern," I suggested.

"That's a great idea, actually. I think I'll check with them when we get home. Would you mind terribly if I rode in with you tonight? Mom's going to let me use her car this weekend, and I don't want to make the drive by myself."

"I don't mind, but let me check with Edward. He's the one driving," I said. "At this point, I'm not even sure when he's going to get—"

A knock on the door interrupted the rest of my sentence. Alice sashayed to the door and opened it, letting Edward into the apartment.

"Hey!" I called from the kitchen. "I didn't expect you so early."

"I gave up," he shouted from the living room. "I'm going to have to find some sort of connection in Forks at some point this weekend, though. I had to set up a few traces, and they aren't going to find anything for hours."

"Does The Lodge have high speed internet?" I asked doubtfully.

Edward snorted. "Um, I doubt it. I've got my air card if there isn't another choice, but reception there isn't great." He strolled into the kitchen. "What are we having?"

"Cheesy Shepherd's Pie," I answered, opening the oven door and showing him the browning potatoes.

"Mmm," he moaned, inhaling. "God, I love you, woman."

I laughed and slapped his shoulder. "I see how it is."

"Eh, I'm a man of simple tastes," he teased.

His smile was so sweet and infectious that I just couldn't resist kissing him.

"Hey, simple man," Alice said from the other room. "Can I ride in with you tonight?"

Edward looked over at me to make sure it was all right with me, and at my shrug, he agreed, but told Alice that she couldn't bring her entire closet with her. She gritted her teeth and scowled at him, but went back to her room to consolidate her three suitcases into one.

We ate dinner quickly and got on the road; the four hour drive in the waning light and ever present rain wasn't overly appealing to any of us. Edward plugged in his iPod, though, and filled the car with upbeat music to keep us alert.

"Whatever happened to Peter?" Edward asked Alice. Peter was the guy Alice had dated on and off through high school.

"Um, the last I heard, he was living in New York City. He's a stock broker—or was," Alice reported. "He's supposedly dating some nineteen year old wannabe actress or something. Mom sees Mrs. Stanley at the store all the time."

Inwardly, I grimaced, but I tried not to let it show. Mrs. Stanley was the worst of the town gossips, and I'd heard enough tripe spilling from her lips to last me a lifetime. "Well, then, I would say he's probably married to a fifty year old society woman," I snarked. "Who do you think will have changed the most?"

"That's not fair," Edward whined. "You two have at least seen these people in ten years. You know who's changed."

Alice giggled. "That's why this is so much fun!"

"I think we should let him try to guess who is who when we randomly run into people," I chimed in.

Alice's answering laugh was almost evil.

"I hate you two," Edward grumbled as he swung into the parking lot of The Lodge. "If you don't mind, I'll check in, and then drive you and Alice to your parents' houses."

I swung my feet out of the car and followed Edward to the registration desk. "Actually," I said, "Charlie called earlier and he's working all night. Do you mind if I stay here? I can get my own room if I need to. I know you have work to do."

Edward laughed deeply and wrapped his arms around my waist. "No, baby, you don't need to get your own room. I think I'll be perfectly happy to have you in my bed all night. It's not like your dad doesn't know we have sex." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Ho-ly shit! Edward Masen? Is that you with Bella Swan?"

Edward didn't let go of me, but turned us to face the person across the lobby. A statuesque blonde strolled across the tile floor in four inch heels, looking every bit the model that she always had.

"Rosalie Hale, how the hell are you?" Edward called, his face breaking out in a wide smile.

She sped up a little, and they embraced tightly.

"It's actually Rosalie McCarty now," she told him with a grin. "Emmett and I got married six years ago. We tried to find you—he wanted you as his best man—but you'd fallen off the face of the Earth."

Edward conceded with a tilt of his head. "Eh, six years ago, I was in Iraq. I'm sorry I missed it, though. I'm sure it was the wedding of the century."

"Em's going to be so excited to see you!" she exclaimed. "We're going for drinks later at The Pub. Come with us."

Edward glanced down at me. "You up for it?"

I smiled at his consideration. "Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun."

"What time?" he asked Rosalie.

"Eleven?"

"We'll meet you there."

She rubbed her hand down his arm in a friendly gesture and smiled at the two of us. "It's good to see you, too, Bella." With a parting brilliantly white smile on her perfect face, she walked out the door and into the night.

"And so it begins," Edward muttered as the receptionist started checking him in.

We threw our bags, including Edward's extensive computer equipment, into our room. Alice's mother was thrilled to see us when we dropped her off and made us come in for a piece of pie before we left. Mrs. Brandon's apple pie was mouthwatering; I could never resist it.

It was ten after eleven when we finally got to The Pub. It was a hive of activity, a situation that I was sure was unusual for a Thursday night in Forks.

"Masen!" Emmett's deep baritone yelled over the din. "Over here." He was standing and waving wildly from a corner booth.

A boyish grin covered Edward's face, and for the first time since we'd been back together, I saw the boy I'd fallen in love with all those years ago. We crossed the room briskly. Emmett and Edward embraced in one of those man hugs where they pound on each other's backs. Rosalie looked on with amusement and motioned for me to sit.

"How are you?" she asked. Rosalie and I had never been close, but we'd always been friendly. Dating best friends for years had that effect.

"Good, actually. How are things going for you? Are you still here in Forks?" I knew she'd left town for college at the same time I did.

"Emmett and I live in Port Angeles. We figured that some of this reunion crap would run late, so we got a room at The Lodge. I run my own garage now—put Dowling's out of business a year ago," she informed me.

I imagined Rosalie's perfection in a pair of coveralls and covered in grease. It made me laugh out loud. "That's . . . wow! Do you . . . work on the cars, too?" I couldn't come up with anything more intelligent sounding.

Peals of laughter fell from her lips, and Emmett guffawed. The guys had gotten us some drinks and returned to the table. "My woman is hot when she goes all grease monkey on me," Emmett said.

"My dad likes to restore old cars," she explained. "When I was a kid, if I wanted to spend time with him when he wasn't at the mill, it had to be in the garage. I picked up a lot from him. At Oregon State, I took a few shop classes and got my degree in automotive engineering. Em's mom got sick during our senior year, so after we graduated, we came home and I opened my own shop."

"Wow. That's incredible. How's your mom now?" I asked, looking at Emmett. Ms. McCarty had spent a lot of time mothering all of Emmett's friends. She'd been the 'cool mom,' but had kept Emmett in line with an iron fist. Emmett's dad left when he was little; you just wouldn't know it from how well adjusted he was.

"Mom's good," Emmett said. "It was breast cancer, but she's been in remission for five years. Just had her check-up the other day."

"Glad to hear that, man. I'll have to stop in and see her while I'm here," Edward said.

"How long are you here for?" Emmett asked. "And where did you go?" There was no malice in Emmett's tone; that was just the way he was.

Edward frowned. "At the beginning of our senior year, Bella and I applied to schools all across the country: Seattle, New York, even Georgia. After . . . well, after Christmas, we both decided on UW so we'd be closer to home. Unbeknownst to me, my parents also tendered my acceptance to West Point. I came home from the hospital one night and found our entire house packed up. They informed me we were leaving the next morning for New York. In August, I started West Point. As for how long I'm here for, I guess that depends on where here is. Forks? I'll be here through the weekend. Washington? I live in Seattle now, so unless the Army sends me overseas again, I intend to stay indefinitely."

Emmett stared at him in disbelief. "The Army, dude?"

"The Army," Edward confirmed.

"So, did you and Bella stay in touch?" Rosalie asked, a furrow in her brow.

I shook my head. "No. He snuck out that night and came to tell me that he was leaving. His parents didn't leave him much choice, and once he was across the country, they cut off his access so he wouldn't contact me, either."

"What the fuck?" Emmett exclaimed. "You let them do that shit?

"It wasn't like they gave me much choice. I tried to call her a few times from pay phones, but I never got through. I even sent her a letter, but she never wrote me back. Later, I found out that she hadn't gotten it. Once school started, there wasn't a lot of time to do much else. It's not like the military gives you a lot of down time," he added wryly.

Rosalie still looked puzzled. "But you're together now?"

I laughed, and Edward continued the story. "I moved to Seattle about eight months ago. One of the guys from my unit and I started our own computer company and relocated to the Northwest. I was making our weekly grocery run, when I literally ran into Bella with my cart. I haven't been able to leave her side since." He threw his arm around my shoulder and tugged me against him.

"That's some fate shit right there," Emmett declared. "More beer?"

It shouldn't have surprised me that those were the only questions our old friends asked, but the conversation ended there. Emmett told us all about teaching at Forks High, where he was the new Biology teacher and head football coach. I was glad to see that he was doing something he loved, too; he'd injured his knee during a game in college, and it had ended his career.

Sometime after one in the morning, we called it a night. Having started our day so early, neither of us had the energy to do more than crawl into bed. Sleep came easier than I'd expected, wrapped in Edward's arms.

**So, they've made it to Forks. Do any of you have any great going back home stories? I'd love to hear them. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Twilight. But no stealing this, okay? It's not nice. **

**A/N: So far, the response to this story has been great! Thank you all for you support. I love hearing your theories. Keep 'em coming! Thank you to Jenny Cullen for betaing this. She's an absolute gem and I flove her. Branson101 has set up a discussion forum over on the Twilighted threads as well for anyone that wants to discuss. Come hang out!**

**Chapter 3**

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" I asked for the third time.

"Yeah, you go ahead." He stared intently at the laptop screen in front of him. "I'm going to be a while."

I kissed him quickly and headed out the door to meet Rosalie in the lobby. The night before, we'd agreed to meet up at nine to get some exercise. The weather was supposed to clear, and sure enough, sunlight filtered through the clouds.

"What took you so long, woman?" Rosalie teased, bouncing on the balls of her feet near the front door.

I shrugged. "Edward usually does five miles in the morning. I thought he might want to come with us, but he's working already."

We took off through town, running a track she seemed to know well. The town wasn't too large, so it took us past the flower shop, the bank, the police station, and the diner. I'd missed the small town feeling Forks provided. People greeted each other in the street and knew each other by name. I'd loved this place once upon a time.

"Did you hear that Gerandy finally retired last month?" Rose asked as we looped past his old offices.

"He had to be, what, eighty?" I wished he'd retired years before.

Rosalie laughed. "Seventy-three, I think. The hospital found his replacement, and he fought them tooth and nail. It was a huge deal. Gerandy threatened to stay on, even though his hands shook like crazy, and the hospital told him if he didn't agree, they'd fire him and hire Dr. Cullen anyway."

"What was his deal?" That didn't sound like the grandfatherly man I'd gotten to know.

"No idea. He said that Dr. Cullen wouldn't stay and that it was a waste. He's got a wife and kid, and Gerandy claimed that Mrs. Cullen wouldn't want to live in such a small town and that they'd just leave in a couple of years."

"Is she happy here?" I asked.

"No idea. They had to stay in LA until the kid finished the school year. Dr. Cullen moved in about a month ago, but the other two just got in like two days ago," Rose reported. "You'd be surprised how much people talk while they're waiting for an oil change."

Rose and I stopped near the park, panting and leaning over. I could barely catch my breath. Around us, kids played on the old Little League fields and on the swing set nearby. A black Mercedes sped by us and pulled to a stop by the curb.

"Speak of the devil," Rose said quietly, pointing to the car idling at the corner. "That's Dr. Cullen's car."

A young boy, pre-teen, got out of the car and grabbed a ball bag from the back seat. My breath caught in my throat, and I froze.

"Hey, Ry, don't leave the field until your mom gets here," Dr. Cullen hollered from the window as the kid walked toward the baseball field. "She shouldn't be more than about thirty minutes."

"Yeah, Dad, I got it," he answered, waving and jogging away.

The car pulled away, but I still couldn't move. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I fumbled for my phone.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," I mouthed into the receiver.

Edward's voicemail picked up. It was just as well, as I couldn't speak loud enough to leave a message anyway.

"Bella. Bella!" Rose yelled, shaking my shoulders. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I shook my head frantically, unable to tear my eyes away from the baseball fields. I couldn't see the kid anymore, but I knew he was out there somewhere. "Rose, g-get my dad," I managed to stutter out.

She didn't ask any more questions, and I saw her feet take off in my peripheral vision. When my vision started to tunnel, I tore my eyes away and settled my head between my knees. Was this like my dreams, me seeing a child and making him into Ryan in my mind? Had I completely lost touch with reality? I didn't think so, but did crazy people ever think they were nuts?

"Bells, what happened?" Dad asked, breathing heavily as he ran up and knelt in front of me. "Are you okay?"

"No, Dad, I'm not. I saw Ryan." It was all I could make come out of my mouth.

I looked up in time to see a flicker of pain cross his face. Whether it was the mention of his lost grandchild or for my sanity, I couldn't tell.

"Baby, Ryan's gone," he said gently.

"No, Dad," I insisted. "He got out of that car!"

He looked over to Rose for help, but the expression on her face wasn't pity or concern. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

"Bella, why don't the three of us walk over there, and you can point Ry out to your dad?" she suggested.

"You're encouraging this?" he asked incredulously.

Rose laid a hand on his arm. "I'm merely suggesting that we walk over to the baseball field and take a look at Dr. Cullen's kid. He just dropped him off and called him Ry. I didn't get a good look at him, but I think maybe it caught Bella off guard."

We hadn't ever talked about the death of my son, but at this moment, I was extremely grateful for her and her compassion. The problem was that I knew, deep down, the boy I'd seen was my son—the son that had died in childbirth ten years before.

Charlie helped me to my feet, and we moved slowly over to the fence. My feet were dragging. What if I saw him again and realized he wasn't my Ryan? Would I be able to handle it? Maybe I should just check myself into the psychiatric hospital now.

"Hey, Chief," the coach called. "Is everything okay?"

"Hey, John! Everything's fine. Just thought I'd check out this year's team before I headed home," he answered, his eyes scanning the players.

Unfortunately, they were all wearing baseball caps, and it was impossible to tell one kid I didn't know from another. We watched them field the ball for a few minutes, but Charlie was clearly getting antsy. I was like a live wire, and I think he was afraid I was going to do something crazy.

Just as he turned to walk away, John, the coach, called all the boys in for a water break, and several kids took off their hats to pour water over their heads. I knew the second Charlie's eyes found Dr. Cullen's boy, because he stopped and stared.

Rosalie followed his gaze and muttered under her breath. "Jesus Christ . . ."

"There's no way," Charlie mumbled. "It's not . . . how is this . . ." He turned to me, but it was almost like he couldn't see me.

"Dad, it's Ryan," I whispered, my tears now flowing freely and choking me.

The sound of my anguish snapped my dad from his shock, and Chief Swan took over. "I think we're going to need to pay Dr. Cullen a visit," he growled. He grabbed my arm and started pulling me across the field toward his cruiser.

Rosalie jogged behind us. "I'm going to run back to The Lodge and get Edward, Bella," she told me, her voice shaken but strong.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I buckled my seat belt.

Charlie was in a hurry; he didn't even wait for me to close my door before taking off.

The hospital was like an ant hill before the rain. Patients and staff swarmed through the hallways and in and out of exam rooms. The activity set me even more on edge, and I rubbed my bare shoulders reflexively. Charlie glanced around and walked us over to the information desk.

"Hey, Chief!" the perky lady at the information desk said when she set down the phone. "What can I do for you today?"

"Hey, Shelley. Is Dr. Cullen in? I need to speak with him," he said in his most stern Chief of Police voice.

I recognized it from the only time he'd ever used it on me—the night Edward and I had to tell him I was pregnant. I shivered at the memory.

"He is. Let me call up there before I send you up, in case he's with a patient. Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.

"I just have a few questions for him," Charlie answered.

She didn't wait for more; she just picked up the phone and dialed. Seconds later, she nodded to my dad. "You can go on up. He's in Dr. Gerandy's old office."

My feet were leaden and my heart heavy as we trekked to the elevator and rode in silence up to the third floor where Dr. Cullen's office was. Not even the décor had changed since I'd last been here, and memories flooded my brain. This was the office where Dr. Gerandy had confirmed my pregnancy, where we'd discussed options, and Edward and I had told him resolutely that we were keeping our son, where he'd told me that Ryan's body had been cremated on accident. I wasn't sure I could face it.

Luckily for me, Dr. Cullen had redecorated his office. Shelves of books lined the back wall, and two comfortable, padded chairs sat opposite the large wooden desk, which was lined with pictures, presumably of his family. I didn't turn them to find out.

"Chief Swan, what a pleasant surprise," Dr. Cullen greeted. It was the same voice I'd heard shout from the car window. He was of average height, blond, and handsome. He didn't fit my mental picture of a nefarious schemer. "Please, have a seat. Is everything all right?"

Dad motioned for me to sit next to him, and I sat in a daze. "Well, I'm not sure, Dr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle," he invited, casting a curious glance in my direction.

"Carlisle. This is my daughter, Bella. She was out running near the park today and had quite a shock," he stated.

"Do you need me to take a look at her?" Dr. Cullen sounded confused, but he immediately moved to come to my aid if I needed him.

Dad grimaced. "No, actually, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your son."

"Ryan? What's wrong? Is he okay?" Dr. Cullen sounded panicked.

My heart practically broke when I heard my son's name fall from his lips.

"He was when we left the park," Dad said to ease his anxiety. "When was he born?"

"June third. He'll be ten this year. What's this about?"

Dad cleared his throat. He didn't have to look at me to know that tears were streaming down my face. "Where was he born?"

"I don't know. We adopted him when he was a few days old. Chief, why are you asking about my son?" Carlisle demanded.

"Because I don't think he's yours."

"This is nonsense!" Carlisle shouted. His calm demeanor had faded. I watched, detached, as he snatched up the receiver and dialed.

"Mae, I need you to get in the safe, get Ryan's adoption papers, and bring them down to my office. Yes, now. I'll tell you when you get here. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. No, don't do that. Just bring the papers down here. You, too." He replaced the handset and stared hard at Charlie. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter another word, his office door was yanked open.

"Bella? What happened? Are you okay?" Edward still had on the black t-shirt and camo pants he'd been wearing to work that morning.

I loved my father, I really did, but he wasn't one to offer comfort, as evidenced by the fact that I'd been sitting here crying for the last ten minutes. I threw myself into Edward's arms and started sobbing. "I saw him. Ryan . . . he didn't die. I knew it. He's here, and he's okay, and oh, God!"

Edward tensed as soon as Ryan's name passed my lips, but he didn't pull away. "Shh," he whispered. "You've got to calm down, angel. I don't understand. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head against his solid chest. "No."

"Now, what's this about . . . Ryan?" His voice broke on the last word, and I was thankful that he was strong enough to hold us both together, even if that strength was tenuous.

"I've had this dream where I hear Ryan cry before I pass out, but maybe it wasn't a dream. Maybe it was real," I rambled.

"Hang on. Why didn't you tell me about this dream, baby?" Edward asked softly. He pulled back enough to look into my eyes and tug me from the room so we didn't have such a captive audience. I was sure they could still hear us, though.

"They all told me it was a coping mechanism. That it wasn't real. I didn't want you to think I was crazy, but oh God, Edward, I don't think he died," I whispered. The more I said it and thought it, the more real the idea became to me.

"Oh, Bella," he said, his voice thick. I couldn't tell if he believed me or was just trying to comfort me until he could lock me away somewhere for the criminally insane.

"Uh, Mr. . . ." I heard Dr. Cullen say tentatively. He must have motioned something that pissed Edward off, because Edward snapped.

"It's Major Masen."

"Major Masen," he said in a conciliatory tone that still had a slight edge to it. "Why don't you step in here and close the door. I'm sure this conversation would be better had in private."

Edward chest expanded against my cheek as he took in a huge breath and held it. It was something he often did when he was angry and trying to rein in his temper. I figured that it was better than throwing things like he used to. He prodded me forward and closed the door behind us, but he never let go. I was grateful, because I was sure that, at this moment, he was all that was holding me together.

He turned to face the desk, and I heard Dr. Cullen gasp. Edward paid him no attention, though. "Chief, it's good to see you, though I wish the circumstances were more pleasant," he said with his voice tightly controlled.

"Me, too, son. Why don't I get another chair in here so we can all sit and talk while we wait?" Charlie said, but Edward cut him off.

"No, I'd rather stand until I know what's going on here," Edward retorted.

I lifted my cheek and looked at my father. He always looked serious, but his face was unusually grave.

"Bella and Rosalie McCarty went running this morning over by the park around the time that Dr. Cullen dropped off his son for baseball practice. When Bella went into some sort of shock, Mrs. McCarty ran to the station to get me, just as I was leaving. I escorted the two ladies over to the field, as Bella was convinced that she'd seen Ryan. We watched the practice for a several minutes. As soon as Dr. Cullen's son took off his cap . . ." Charlie paused. "Edward, I've known you almost your entire life, and I've never seen a kid that looked more like you at that age than this boy. It was uncanny."

"As I explained to Chief Swan here, I'm sure this is all a huge misunderstanding. My wife, Esme, and I legally adopted Ryan when he was a baby. She's on her way with the papers," Dr. Cullen said, though he didn't seem as convinced as he had earlier that there was a mistake of some sort.

"I see," Edward said tightly. "Please excuse us for a moment." Edward steered us out the door and down another hallway. He let go of me for a second, only to pace a few feet away. His phone was at his ear before I'd even had a chance to see him dial it. "Jazz, I need to you to find everything you can on Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Everything. Yeah, it's urgent. Send it to my phone."

His gaze softened as he looked at me. "Are you okay?" he asked, taking my hands in his.

I thought about it before I answered, because I knew that he'd want the real answer and not for me to just tell him that I was fine. I wasn't, and we both knew it. "I'm numb. All of a sudden, everything I've lived with and believed for ten years could be wrong. Ryan's death changed everything for both of us; if he'd lived, our lives would have been very different. Now, to find out that maybe he did live and someone stole him from us, I don't know how to deal with that."

Edward ducked slightly to look directly into my eyes. "Do you really think it was him, Bella?"

"Edward, I'm his mother. I may not have raised him, but I would like to think I'd recognize him anywhere. It doesn't hurt that he looks exactly like you," I retorted, and then softened my stance. "But the other, more rational part of me keeps reminding me that I've been living with the death of my child for ten years and that maybe I'm seeing things were nothing exists. That's why I called you and had Rose get Charlie. I don't trust myself."

"I'm sorry I didn't answer," he murmured, pulling me closer again. "I was almost done and thought you were just calling about meeting for lunch or something."

"It's okay. Charlie saw him. He dragged us straight here."

Edward chuckled, but the sound was forced. "Let's get back in there," he urged, and we walked back to the room hand in hand.

Dr. Cullen immediately addressed me as soon as I walked in. "Mrs. Masen, I'm sorry that you have had to deal with this, but I assure you, my wife and I did not steal your son."

His tone set me on edge as much as his words. "First of all, it's Dr. Swan," I corrected. Dr. Cullen looked a little taken aback, but he didn't interrupt me. "And second, I've never seen you before, so I'm fairly certain that _you_ didn't do anything. Something happened, though, the day that my son was born, and I intend to find out what it was."

**Dun, dun, dun! What do you think happened that day? I feel like an evil scientist twisting my hands and grinning maniacally at the moment. Have a great week!**

**Oh, and if you haven't checked out Wrenfield Hall, you should. It's a wonderful, T rated story that brings Bella and Edward together in such a beautiful way. The epilogue was posted this week, so give Wannabe Charlotte some love. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. If this surprises you, perhaps you are in the wrong place. I own this story. Don't take it. It's not nice. **

**A/N: If you are under 18, stop reading right now. Seriously, I don't want to be responsible for corrupting you. If you aren't, well, okay then. Thank yous go out to Jenny Cullen for betaing this little diddy. She's totally awesome and talks me off ledges. Also, she makes this readable. Give her lots of love. Please see the author's note at the end for some information. **

**Chapter 4**

Charlie ended up grabbing a chair from the nurses' station and dragging it in for Edward, who tugged it as close to my chair as he could. He kept checking his phone, almost obsessively, but no one spoke. The silence was stifling.

I couldn't even think. It was too much for me to process. I knew that I was dangerously close to shutting down, but the thought that my baby might be alive and well kept me upright. That and Edward's presence next to me.

Jasper must have sent him something, because he started tapping away on the screen of his phone, reading intently. His brows furrowed together and didn't look too happy with what he was seeing. I laid my hand on his arm to get his attention, and his head snapped up. With my eyes, I asked him if everything was all right, because I didn't want to break the silence. In answer, he clicked on his screen and handed the phone over to me to read.

There in front of me were employment, financial, and medical records. There were newspaper articles about charitable giving and Esme's interior design projects. He had so much information on them that it made my head swim. From everything I could see, they looked like fine, upstanding citizens. I looked over at him with wide eyes, and he smirked back at me, pointing to an area in the financial records. Starting roughly twelve years ago, there were large dips in their financials, and from what I could tell, substantial cash withdrawals. The last one was five days after Ryan's birth.

I was going to ask Edward what it meant, but just as I opened my mouth, the door was flung open again and a lovely woman with dark blonde hair pushed past Charlie and went straight to Dr. Cullen. I could only surmise that this was his wife. She clutched a sheaf of papers in her hand, and my detached mind noted that it shook slightly.

"Carlisle, what is going on here? Why is the Chief of Police sitting in your office asking about Ryan? What's happened?" Her level of panic was sky-rocketing.

"It's fine, Mae. When are you supposed to get Ry from practice?" he asked, keeping his voice calm to control the rising tension.

"I already picked him up. He was hungry, so he went down to the cafeteria," she answered. "Why did you need his adoption papers?"

Dr. Cullen carefully considered his words before speaking. "Ms. . . . Dr. Swan thought Ryan looked familiar when I dropped him off at the park. Chief Swan is her father. They came to ask me about him."

Mrs. Cullen stared intently at me, and I recognized the fight in her eyes. To her, this was her child we were discussing, and she would do anything to protect him. Her eyes flickered to Edward, and immediately, she did a double take. She blinked repeatedly, as if that would clear her vision and make the man sitting before her less of an older doppelganger for her son.

"Why don't we get another chair in here so Mrs. Cullen can sit?" Charlie suggested. "We can each tell our stories and see where that leaves us."

Edward stood and left the room, coming back a few minutes later with a chair from one of the waiting rooms. He placed it next to the desk, placing Mrs. Cullen next to her husband. Charlie gestured to us to begin.

Edward grasped my hand tightly and nodded. I took a deep breath and brought the memories I kept safely locked away to the surface.

"Edward and I started dating during our sophomore year of high school. When it came time to decide on colleges the fall of our senior year, we applied to the same schools or ones near to each other. We loved each other and planned to stay together as we started our lives. So when we found out on Thanksgiving that I was pregnant, we changed our plans to go to school on the East Coast, opting for UW so we could be closer to home and to our parents. There was never any question that we would stay together and raise our child. Our parents weren't thrilled, of course, but they were supportive.

"On June third, I went into labor. I wanted Edward in the room with me, but Dr. Gerandy said he wasn't allowed, since he wasn't eighteen. Dad didn't feel like it was his place, so it was just me, Dr. Gerandy, and his nurse, Susan Mallory."

Dr. Cullen interrupted, and I could practically hear the disgust in his voice. "He wouldn't allow you any support while you were in labor? There's no under eighteen rule!"

"They didn't give me anything for the pain, either," I told him. "Mrs. Mallory said she was giving me something, but whatever she gave me didn't alleviate the pain at all." I couldn't verbalize how alone and scared I'd felt. As it was, the memories threatened to pull me under. "Dr. Gerandy had me stop pushing to unwrap the cord, but the pain was so bad that after I pushed for the last time, I passed out. When I came to, it was ten minutes later. I was already in a new room, and my baby was nowhere to be seen. Dr. Gerandy came in and told me that my son had been stillborn."

The rest of the words caught in my throat, so Edward picked up the story for me.

"He came into the waiting room and told me the same thing. The next morning, Bella and I asked to see his body so we could say goodbye, but Dr. Gerandy said that there had been a mix up in the morgue and our son's body had been taken to the crematory in place of another person that had died."

Mrs. Cullen had tears pouring down her face and her hand in front of her mouth. It almost muffled her cry of, "you poor dears," but I heard her anyway.

Dr. Cullen looked downright pissed. He took several moments to compose himself before he spoke. "I have never heard of such callous behavior toward a new mother by a colleague I've always admired and respected. I'm so sorry that you had to live through such a horrendous experience. I can't even imagine. Please don't think me insensitive, but I have to ask. Other than the fact that you never saw your son's body, have you ever had cause to believe that he survived?"

Edward shook his head, but I cut of his movement by touching his arm. "I started seeing a therapist to help me through the grief a few weeks afterward. I was having a reoccurring dream; in it, I was giving birth again, but before I fainted, I heard Ryan cry. My counselor at the time, and everyone since has agreed that it was a coping mechanism. I've dealt with many different types of them in my own practices, so I never truly questioned it until today."

Mrs. Cullen's eyes bored into me. "Who did you say you heard cry?"

"After the ultrasound showed that he was a boy, we named him Ryan." Edward shrugged and looked a little embarrassed. "The books all said to talk to him as much as possible, so we did."

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," Mrs. Cullen whimpered, rocking back and forth slightly. "Carlisle . . ."

I looked to him expectantly, ready to hear how they came to adopt the child I'd never given up. He swallowed a couple of times and rubbed the back of his neck. "Esme and I tried to have children for several years. After the third miscarriage, we started seeing a fertility specialist, who diagnosed Esme with endometriosis. There was some scarring on her uterus, but nothing that he felt would keep her from carrying a child to term. She miscarried three more times—the last time at twenty-three weeks. I refused to put her through that again. My mentor suggested that we look into adoption as an alternative, and Esme threw herself into the search. One day in early April, my mentor called and asked if we had looked into private adoption. An old friend of his had a young patient that was planning to give up her child, and he asked if we would be interested. We offered to cover the girl's medical expenses and meet with her beforehand, but he said that she wanted it to be a closed adoption and that she didn't want to know where her child went. You have to understand that this kind of request, according to the case worker at the agency we worked with, wasn't uncommon. A lot of teenage mothers want to retain their anonymity so they can't be found later. He kept us updated on her progress, and on June third, he emailed to say that she had safely delivered a healthy baby boy. Five days later, we met the nurse at the adoption agency and took our son home."

"The only request the nurse had was that we name him Ryan. She said that the mother had named him in utero before she decided on adoption," Esme choked out. "We named him Ryan Parker Cullen."

She held out the adoption certificate and the birth certificate with his legal name. I took them with trembling fingers. Edward stared at it over my shoulder.

"Who was your mentor's friend, the doctor that arranged the adoption?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know," Dr. Cullen admitted. "We never spoke directly to him. I can call Steve later and ask him."

"Please do. There are a few too many similarities for me to be comfortable dismissing this," Charlie stated. "I don't want to cause any trouble for you folks, but I think we all owe it to Ryan to put the matter to rest."

"D-Does Ryan know he's adopted?" I asked. I couldn't imagine how horrible and damaging it would be for him to find out that not only was he adopted, but kidnapped, as well, all at once. He was only ten!

Mrs. Cullen nodded rapidly. "He noticed when he was about five that he didn't look anything like either of us. When he asked, we told him that we had chosen to be his parents and that we loved him, even if I hadn't given birth to him."

She made my hackles rise again, as if _we _hadn't wanted him. I knew that wasn't what she'd meant, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

"Okay, kids," Charlie said, standing. "We've taken up enough of Dr. Cullen's time today, and you all have a party to get ready for."

"I need to get Ryan from the cafeteria, too," Mrs. Cullen added. Her earlier fear seemed to have come back full force, and I had to admit that I completely understood it, because I felt it, too. This woman had my child, and I wanted him back. But he was her child, too. She'd raised and loved him for the last ten years, and she wouldn't let go without a fight.

Dr. Cullen's sharp voice cut into my thoughts. "I would appreciate if you would stay away from my son until we have some more information. I don't want to confuse him."

I wanted to protest. I wanted to scream and rail that he was _my _child, and I had every right to see him if I wanted to, but Edward squeezed my hand, pulling me back from the brink.

"We can agree to that," he answered. "But we won't wait long. I want this resolved, and soon. If he is our son, I want to know him."

"Of course," they agreed, mollified for now.

Edward and I left first, following a familiar route from the hospital. His car was parked haphazardly in a space near the entrance, and I laughed. "What? I thought something was wrong with you."

"What do we do now?" I whispered as he started up the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

He sighed and gave me a sad smile. "We wait. And tonight, we get dressed up and go to Forks High's gym."

"You really expect me to get dressed up and play Prom?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, I do. I never got to take you to Prom the first time, because you refused to go looking like 'a whale.' There is nothing that we can do in those three hours that's going to tell us if that little boy is our Ryan or not. Please, let us have tonight. If it is Ryan, our lives are going to change, and if it's not, well, I'm not sure how we will cope with losing him again." Edward's expression was so sad; there was no way I was going to deny him this, since it meant so much to him.

"Okay," I agreed.

"Yeah?" His happy grin spread across his face. "You did ask me to wear my dress uniform, you know, and it's hanging in the closet."

I shivered in anticipation. I'd only seen him in it once, but damn, it was hot. I only hoped I would look like I belonged next to him in my gown.

Edward's phone rang as we parked near our room at The Lodge. I went on in to give him some privacy, as it sounded like Jasper and more than likely related to work. There wasn't any way that I was going to be able to concentrate on a book, so I flicked on the TV while I waited. When he didn't return within fifteen minutes, I started to get worried. A peak through the curtains revealed that his car was gone, as well.

I snatched my phone from my pocket and dialed his number without thinking. He didn't answer. Fear welled up within me, and I paced around the bed. Logically, I knew that Edward would never just leave me somewhere without a word—he never had. I also knew that I was in a town the size of a postage stamp. I could walk wherever I wanted to go should the need arise. What scared me was that whatever had dragged him away had to be serious, or he wouldn't have gone without a word.

When I heard the key in the lock, I spun around to face the door, fear and anger warring inside of me in equal parts. Edward has his phone pressed against his shoulder, still listening to someone on the other end, while he balanced the key in one hand and a pizza in the other. He looked up at me with a smile that fell as soon as he registered my expression.

"Jazz, let me call you right back. I just got back to the room, and I need to boot up the computer." Edward slid the pizza onto the table by the window and hit a button on the screen of his phone without looking away from my face. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Where did you go?" I asked in a strangled voice.

He approached me cautiously. "It's after one, Bella. Neither of us ate breakfast, and I'm starving. I just ran to get us a pizza while I was on the phone."

The last vestiges of my panic and fear receded. My shoulders sagged as I let my weight fall onto the bed behind me. "I'm sorry. I thought something had happened to you."

"Bella, what's going to happen to me in Forks?" Edward asked, his tone still cautious, but with a touch of humor.

"I don't know," I answered hollowly. The smell of the pizza filled the small room, and my stomach grumbled in response. I couldn't find the will to move, though. It had been a long time since my emotions had incapacitated me and prevented me from looking for rational answers.

Edward held out his hand and grasped mine, pulling me to my feet and leading me over to the table. "Come on, Bell. Let's eat. It's been a long day, and we've still got a lot of it to go."

The food helped clear my thoughts and took the edge off. "Thank you," I said once the first slice settled. "I think I needed this more than I knew."

"I figured." He smirked. "How long will you need to get ready for tonight? We're supposed to be there at six for dinner."

"Maybe an hour," I guessed.

He rubbed his hands with glee. "Good. Are you feeling up to looking at what Jasper sent?"

The thought of searching further into the mystery surrounding Ryan Cullen set my heart to racing. We quickly finished our lunch. Edward leaned against the headboard and nestled me between his legs as he booted up his computer and pulled up his email.

There on his nineteen inch screen were the financials that we'd looked at on his phone earlier in the day. There were four significant dips in their portfolios.

"Those must be the fertility treatments and Ryan's adoption," I noted.

Edward scoffed and tensed against my back. "Fifty thousand dollars. That's how much they paid to adopt him."

"Is there a way to check Dr. Gerandy's financials to see if he took the money?" I asked.

"Yeah, but let's wait until we talk to him. It might not be necessary. Keep in mind that legally, I shouldn't have this information," Edward reminded me.

Next, he pulled up Esme's medical records, and they coincided with her story. She'd had six miscarriages in ten years. Ryan's adoption had followed the last one by only four months. Neither of them had any major medical conditions, other than Esme's endometriosis. Financially, they were stable, and on paper, they were the ideal family for a little boy that needed nothing other than to be loved. And in ten years worth of records, there was nothing to suggest that they'd been involved in a plot to steal our child.

At four-thirty, we put the computer away and jumped in the shower to get cleaned up for our evening out. Usually, when we showered together, we couldn't keep our hands to ourselves. Today, though, it consisted mostly of cleaning and chaste touches, our minds both too caught up in the events of the day to do more. While I combed and dried my shoulder length hair, Edward just towel dried his short hair and sat on the bed with only his towel around his waist. It was a good thing that using a hair dryer didn't require any mental prowess, because my eyes were too busy roaming his exposed torso.

He didn't move until I'd already applied my mascara and blush. My hair was curled in loose waves down my back, and I stepped into my strapless dress while he finished buttoning his dress uniform. There was just something about him in that green uniform that drove me wild, but I knew that we didn't have any time to act on those thoughts.

"Bella," he started, his voice unusually grave, "if . . . if that boy is our Ryan, what do we do?"

I stepped over to him and ran my hands over his lapels. "I have no idea, but we'll figure it out together, okay?"

He smiled at me softly and pressed his lips to mine. "Together."

**The lovely branson101 has set up a forum over on Twilighted. Come on over to talk to all of us! **

**Now, in November, the fandom is hosting another auction to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand. We in the Twilight fandom have done a lot for various causes over the course of the last few years, but this is one that deserves all of our attention. Curing childhood cancer should be one of our top priorities. To that end, I am donating a one shot or outtake form any of my stories of the winner's choice. Keep your eyes open for more information. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: It's the same as always. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own Stolen Dreams and Ryan. K—now that's out of the way. **

**A/N: Wow! Such a fantastic response this week. Welcome to all of my new readers! Thank you to Jenny Cullen for her fabulous beta duties. On to chapter 5!**

**Chapter 5**

Our senior class had really gone all out for our reunion, at least by Forks standards. A catering company was brought in from Port Angeles; they had a buffet set up along the back wall of the gym. Large, round tables draped in white linen surrounded the makeshift dance floor. Bowls full of water with small votives served as centerpieces. Though we hadn't actually gone to the Prom, Edward and I had seen the pictures, and it hadn't looked anything like this.

Jessica Stanley, now Newton, and Eric Yorkie manned the check-in table by the door, handing out name tags and greeting all of our old classmates.

"Bella Swan, is that you?" Jessica shrieked. She jumped up and hugged me tightly. We'd been friends for years, but as soon as it got out that I was pregnant, she'd pulled away. To her credit, I'd never heard her bad-mouthing me, but it had hurt that she'd abandoned me when I needed my friends the most.

"It's good to see you, Jessica," I told her. "You look good."

"Thanks! I know you won't remember, but this is the same dress I wore to Prom. I had to have Betty let it out a little, but I was so pumped that I could still get into it," she jabbered.

I held her at arm's length and looked at the dress she'd squeezed herself back into. Betty, the owner of Fork's only dry cleaner and a professional seamstress, was a miracle worker. Jess wasn't nearly as trim as she'd been ten years before, but the once tight dress flowed gently over her body.

"Let's get you checked in," she said. "You brought a date?" Her eyes flitted to Edward, and then did a double take.

I fought a grin. "You remember Edward Masen, of course."

Jessica's mouth hung open, and she tried several times to speak, but only a squeak came out. Eric took up the slack and held out his hand. "It's good to see you, man. It's been a long time."

"It has," Edward agreed, returning Eric's handshake.

Edward plastered the name tag onto his lapel and held mine out for me. I did my best to hide my mirth at Jessica's reaction. She'd liked him for years and had only begrudgingly supported our relationship back in the day. That, and he looked damn good tonight.

"You can sit anywhere you want," she called out to us as I looped my arm through Edward's and we walked through the gym door.

Rosalie and Emmett were already seated, and there were six empty seats at their table. Edward led me over to them. Rosalie and Emmett stood up to greet us when we got close.

"That dress is stunning," Rosalie complimented as she hugged me and retook her seat. "How did it go with the Chief this morning?"

Emmett leaned closer to hear the answer, obviously already having heard the first part of the story.

"The Cullens are very nice. They adopted their son, Ryan, as a baby. I think Dad's got a few more questions, but we're leaving those for tomorrow," I told them.

Emmett looked at me, and then Edward. "Whatever you need, man, just let me know." He held out his fist for Edward to bump.

Rose and I just laughed at their boyish display. Leave it to Emmett to turn a serious conversation into something more fun.

Alice finally made it through the doors and plunked down at our table. Her eyes kept darting toward the back of the room, and she seemed to be using Edward as a shield.

"Is there a problem, Alice?" Edward asked, deliberately ducking away from her with a grin.

"Get back over here," she hissed, pulling on the sleeve of his jacket and cowering behind him again. "Peter and his wife, _Charlotte_, are over there by the drink table."

"You and Peter parted on good terms, didn't you?" I asked. In all the years I'd known Alice, she'd never mentioned any bad blood or lingering feelings for her high school, sometimes boyfriend.

"Maybe a little too good," she groaned. "Charlotte's heard all about me and wants to get to know me better. Biblically." Alice shivered and screwed up her face in disgust. "Hide me."

Rose's expression was a combination of awed and appalled. "She said that?"

Alice leveled her with a glare. "She said that Peter's told her all about the fun we used to have and that 'we should get together soon' so she could judge that for herself. You know that all we ever did was screw around!"

Emmett wasn't able to hold in his laughter anymore, and a snort escaped. Soon, it turned into full blown belly laughs that had us all joining in. I carefully wiped away the tears that were streaming down my face, just in time to see Angela Weber step up to one of the three empty seats at the table.

"Please tell me these aren't taken," she begged.

"Angie!" I shouted, jumping out of my seat to wrap her in a warm hug. Angela had been one of my best friends, next to Alice, but we'd grown apart when we'd gone to different schools. She'd sought out sunny California, instead of rainy Seattle.

"It's good to see you!" she said with a smile. "Are you still in Seattle? Please say yes, please say yes."

"Yes?"

She made a little noise of excitement. "Good. I got a job offer up there, and I took it yesterday. The Director of Programs position opened up a few months ago when the woman that led it went on maternity leave. She decided not to come back, so I got the job. I was hoping you'd still be around," Angela reported. She took the seat next to Emmett, and I returned to mine.

A chorus of, "That's great, Ang," and "Congratulations!" echoed around the table. We spent the next few minutes catching up. For the first time in a long time, I felt at ease and almost at home. These people knew me, as I was then and now, and they loved me anyway. I should have known that the peace wouldn't last. I just didn't expect it to come from the direction it did.

Jessica stepped up to the microphone and announced that it was time for dinner and that the buffet line was open. As always, everyone scraped their chairs against the floor and stood at the same time. Edward and I walked together, his hand on my back, through the crowd and stood in line for our food. No sooner were our plates filled than I heard the voice of one of Edward's closest friends and teammates.

"Dude! Ed man, you came," Tyler crowed.

"Hey, Tyler," Edward said with a smile. "How are you?"

"Good, man. Good. Working in engineering now. Say, where's your date? Mom showed me her picture the other night, and I cannot wait to meet her."

Edward froze. I just stared at the two of them, not really understanding. "What are you talking about, Tyler?" he asked.

"Tina, Tanya . . . whatever her name is. Your mom sent mine that picture of you all last fall. They still talk all the time. She said you all were real serious and that she was glad you were finally settling down with a good woman." Tyler sounded confident in his information.

My heart sank into my stomach. Edward and I didn't talk much, other than the obligatory conversation, about our exes, but I knew that he and Tanya had been engaged before he left to move back to Seattle. According to him, he'd asked her to marry him because they'd been together for two years and because his parents were pressuring him, not because he'd really wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. When she refused to move with him, saying that her job back East was more important, he broke it off. That was months ago.

Edward cast a worried glance in my direction and took a deep breath. "Tanya and I broke up almost nine months ago, man. She's . . . well, you can have her if you want her. Sometimes, it's all a pretty face, you know."

Tyler apparently didn't get Edward's subtle glance and continued on, "Really? Mom just got the email from your mom a couple of weeks ago. Seemed to think you'd be bringing her this weekend."

That one statement told me all I needed to know, and I walked off, leaving Edward standing there with Tyler. For months, we'd been getting closer, finding love again, but it wasn't what I thought it had been. The two people closest to Edward didn't even know that I was back in his life, that his ex-fiancée didn't hold any place for him anymore. For all I knew at that moment, maybe she did. I didn't know when he would find the time, since he was always working or with me or Jasper.

I left my plate on the table and excused myself to the restroom. Alice gave me a searching glance, asking wordlessly if I needed her to come with me. I shook my head and left the room alone. It was fitting, I thought, for how I felt inside—once again, I was here in Forks, alone and crushed under the weight of a breaking heart.

Years before, when Edward and I first started 'going out,' his parents were always willing to provide their house for us to go, since we couldn't drive and there was nothing to do in Forks anyway. Elizabeth, his mother, made us snacks and checked on us periodically in the den, where we watched movies and made out. They saw it as young love, no doubt, and a passing fancy.

When we had to sit down and tell them and my parents together that I was pregnant, Ed hit the roof. It seemed like hours that he yelled at us, telling me that I'd ruined Edward's future and how he knew I'd never amount to much. My father gave as good as him, though, countering that if Edward had kept it in his pants where it belonged, we wouldn't be there. Ed had called me a whore and said that I'd ensnared Edward, and if it hadn't been him, it would have been some other poor sap. I'd cried over the harsh words for days; each time, Edward held me, told me that his father hadn't meant it and that he was just upset. Edward would reassure me that he loved me and that we were in this together for the long haul. Naively, I'd believed him.

I shouldn't have been too surprised when they moved him away from me after we lost the baby.

I stared at myself in the mirror, wondering where the strong and confident woman that I'd become had gone. The weight of this weekend was pulling me down bit by bit. Zafrina's words echoed in my ears. _"No one can drag you down without your permission, Bella. This is your life; take control of it. Show the world what you are made of and that you can handle whatever it throws at you."_

With that reminder, I straightened my back and decided that whatever this trip brought me, it wasn't going to bring me down, no matter what. I washed my hands and ripped open the bathroom door forcefully. Edward was leaning against the wall, watching me warily.

"Bella, about that . . ." he started.

"Edward, did you tell your parents that you had ended your engagement?" I asked. It had never occurred to me that he wouldn't.

"I . . . yes, I told them I was moving to Seattle and that she wasn't coming with me," he answered, a little bewildered.

"Did you ever tell them that you didn't love her and had no intention of marrying her?" I pressed.

His brow creased, as if he'd never thought of that until this moment, but he remained mute.

"You talk to your mother at least once a week. Did you ever tell her that we were back together?" I asked, though in my heart, I knew the answer.

"My relationships are not my parents' business, Bella," he insisted. "Who I choose to spend my time with isn't their concern."

I shook my head and scoffed. "Where do you see this going?" I motioned between the two of us. "Is this some casual fling to you?"

"No!" he cried, finally stepping forward and closing the gap between us. "I love you, Bella, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You know this."

"So, what? You're just going to call up your parents one day and invite them to our wedding? Or did you think I'd be content to just live in the moment for the rest of our lives so your parents never had to find out?" I challenged.

He looked as though I'd slapped him. "God, no. That's not it at all. I just . . ."

What he was, I didn't have the chance to find out, because Lauren Mallory chose that moment to step into the hallway and greet us in her fake, high pitched voice.

"Fancy seeing you two out here together! Reconnecting after all these years?"

"Lauren," I said through gritted teeth. Not only had she interrupted an important conversation, but she'd tried for years, even during the spring of our senior year, to split Edward and me up.

"Actually, Lauren, Bella and I are here together. It's good to see you again," Edward said in measured tones. "Our dinners are probably getting cold, though, so we should get back." He steered me back into the gym with his hand on my back.

"I promise that we'll finish that conversation, but this probably isn't the best place for it," he whispered into my ear.

I nodded my agreement, plastered a smile on my face, and retook my seat. Tyler and his date, Kim, had taken the empty seats at our table. He didn't look surprised when Edward held my chair out for me or slung his arm over my shoulder to pull me close, so I assumed that Edward had told him at least that we were a couple for more than just the weekend.

It took most of dinner, but the knot of tension in my stomach finally loosened, and I let myself enjoy the reunion. Everyone had funny stories of what they'd been up to over the last ten years, and we moved between tables with ease as we caught up. I was surprised to find that most of my classmates were still in the area. Jessica had married Mike and was a stay at home mom to two little boys, while Mike ran his parents' sporting goods store. Lauren was a manager at the Shop-n-Go. She'd made fun of me for getting pregnant in high school, only to do the same in her first year of community college. The dad hadn't stuck around, so she'd come home to raise her son. Eric had gone to Hollywood and was working 'behind-the-scenes,' as he put it, on movies. I suspected that it was in a rather infamous industry, since he avoided telling us what films he'd worked on, but I wasn't about to call him out.

If anyone suspected that I was barely holding my shit together, they didn't show it. The DJ put on some music, and we danced in large groups, laughing as we would have at Prom, had I gone. Edward even pulled me into his arms for a few slow dances, though the tension between us was almost unbearable. At the end of the last one, he kissed me softly and the look in his eyes told me he feared it would be the last one he'd ever get. I wasn't sure how we'd gotten here from the happy couple we'd been just two days before, but I was hurting, and I wasn't willing to let him get away with it again. He was the only man with the power to break me, and he'd almost accomplished it the first time.

At the end of the night, we said our goodbyes and loaded into Edward's car. The ride back to The Lodge was stifling, as neither of us spoke. As soon as we got into the room, I changed my clothes in the bathroom and reloaded my suitcase.

"Bella, please," Edward begged. "Don't do this." He stilled my hand as I fiddled with the sticky zipper on my bag.

"I think it would be best if I stayed at my dad's house tonight, Edward," I said evenly.

"If that's what you want, I'll take you over there after we talk," he bargained.

I mulled it over in my mind and set my purse down. When I worked with married couples, which wasn't often since I didn't feel I had the necessary experience to advise them, I always encouraged communication. "Never go to bed angry," was one of the main rules I set for them. It was time to take my own advice.

"What do you want me to say, Edward? I feel like your dirty little secret. For God's sake, your mother still thinks you and Tanya are getting married. How am I supposed to feel?" All of the hurt and anger I'd felt earlier came rushing back.

Edward sank down onto the bed next to me and took several deep breaths. "Did you know that I didn't talk to my parents for almost two years? Even after that, it was only when absolutely necessary."

"When?" I asked, disbelieving. Edward was about as close to his parents as it was possible to be.

"When they made me leave you. As soon as I started school, I left home and never went back. I stayed on campus during breaks and took classes over the summer so I didn't have to go home." His expression was sad as he remembered. "I sent them a graduation invitation in the mail. Hell, I didn't expect them to even come at that point."

I reached over for his hand, knowing how much his touch always comforted me. "What changed?"

"I got my orders to ship out to Iraq. I couldn't just leave and let the last real conversation I had with them be me telling them how much I hated them. What if I never came back?" He ran his other hand through his hair.

I waited patiently for him to finish.

"They said they thought they were doing the right thing, that they thought the only reason I was staying with you was because of the baby and that with it gone, they were afraid that we'd both just drag each other down. I told them that if they'd just talked to me, they would have known better, but instead, doing what they'd thought was best had driven a wedge between us that probably wouldn't ever heal. Mom cried for like three hours. When I left their house that night, I told them that I loved them, but I wasn't sure how to forgive them. I deployed two days later. Mom wrote to me every week, regardless of whether or not I wrote back. Eventually, it became too hard to hold onto the grudge while I watched friends and enemies die right in front of me." Edward stopped and took a few deep breaths, something he often did to calm his emotions, I'd noticed.

"When I came home, my training in computer science landed me in Virginia, so I didn't see them all that often. They made the time to come down once a month, though. After my second deployment, I went home for two weeks before reporting for duty." It seemed like he'd gotten to the part of the story that was most important to us at the moment, because his voice got stronger, but he wouldn't look at me. "Mom threw me a surprise party to welcome me home. All of their friends from New York were there, including Irina and Marcus Vasily . . . and their daughter, Tanya. Mom did her best to make sure we were thrown together as often as possible."

He looked up at me then, his eyes wide and earnest. "I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I didn't find her attractive. She was—still is. And I had just gotten back from a year in a war zone. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Two weeks after I went back home to Virginia, she came down to visit me, and we developed a sort of routine. Every two or three weeks, she would come to me, or I would go to New York to see her, depending who had the time to travel. Eventually, she got tired of the trip and moved in with me. It was comfortable and easy. When I look back on it now, that was probably more because I didn't care what happened, but at the time, it was what I needed.

"Just before my tour was up, they sent me to Afghanistan to set up the operations base. I was only gone for four months. Two soldiers died while I was gone, and when I came home, Tanya started clinging to me. Over and over, she'd tell me that she didn't know what she'd do if something happened to me. At the same time, my mom starting dropping hints about making Tanya an honest woman and how much she'd enjoy planning our wedding. So, I proposed. We'd been together a couple of years by that point, and it was the next logical step. The only problem was that I couldn't see spending the rest of my life with her." He threw up his free hand. "The rest, you know. When my bid was up, Jasper and I decided to open our own firm and thought it would be best to base it in Seattle. Tanya refused to move, saying that her job was in Virginia and that she'd already given up enough for me. Maybe she thought it would make me stay, I don't know. I told her that it was her decision where she wanted to live, but that it wouldn't be with me anymore. She gave me back the ring and helped me pack. When I talked to my mother a couple of days later, I told her that Tanya had decided not to move with me and that there wasn't going to be a wedding."

"Why would your mother think that you would bring her to the reunion?" I asked. It sounded to me like he'd made himself clear.

"No idea. I'll have to ask her," he said matter-of-factly.

I dropped my eyes to our joined hands. "And me?" I asked meekly. It hurt to know that as close as we'd gotten again, as much of my body, heart, and soul I'd given back to Edward, that he was keeping them in the dark about me.

Edward sighed. "It wasn't necessarily intentional, Bella."

"Not necessarily?" I asked, looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

"You have to understand, babe. We go to great lengths to avoid talking about Forks and my time in college. I told them I was coming to the reunion, and Dad changed the subject. When I tell them that we're seeing each other, it's going to bring all of that back up. I guess I was waiting for the right time," he said with a shrug. "Maybe when they come out here for my birthday."

And there was the crux of the problem. He was still hiding my place in his life and had no intention of changing that anytime soon. I needed space to think about whether or not I wanted this relationship under those terms. What would happen if they came out here and expressed their inevitable disapproval? Would he leave again? Would I be able to handle it if he did?

I lifted his hand to my mouth and kissed it lightly in an effort to show him I wasn't angry. Hurt: yes. Angry: not really. "I think I'd like you to take me to my dad's now," I told him softly. His eyes, fearful and wide, studied mine. "I just need some time to think."

He swallowed hard, but nodded once and retrieved my bags, pulling the zipper free so my clothes didn't land all over the parking lot. He walked me to the car and helped me in, letting go of my hand only to throw my suitcase in the trunk and get into the driver's seat. We didn't speak all the way there, all eight minutes of it.

"I'll call you in the morning, okay?" he said, his voice rough.

"Please do," I told him, doing my best to smile.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too," I said as I got out of the car.

He joined me near the trunk and handed me my suitcase.

"Will that be enough?" he asked, as if he was afraid of the answer, but I wasn't sure what the question was.

Was it enough to have him love me? Or had he told me enough to make me understand? Either way, the answer was the same.

"I don't know." I kissed his cheek, and then let myself into my father's empty house. My tears didn't wait for his tires peeling from the driveway before they splashed down my cheeks.

**Don't shoot! I'm unarmed. **

**I'd love to hear your thoughts here. Tell me, please! Leave me a review or come talk in the forum! I'll be around to answer questions. **

**Just a reminder: In November, I'll be auctioning off an outtake or one-shot for Alex's Lemonade Stand.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Twilight. But you didn't really think I did, did you?**

**A/N: Thank you so much to all who are reading this little tale and to everyone that takes the time to review and visit the forum each week. I love hearing from you and I do read each and every comment—even those that are less than kind. Thanks for expressing your opinions. My sincerest love and thanks goes out to Jenny Cullen who took the time to beta this baby of mine. She's the shiznit. **

**Chapter 6**

My eyes hurt the next morning when I woke. The river of tears I'd cried had swelled them almost shut. After splashing water on my face and attempting to clear the haze in my brain, I trudged to the kitchen, where I found my father sipping on a cup of coffee.

"There's more in the pot," he said by way of greeting.

Greedily, I poured my coffee in the biggest mug I could find and sank into the kitchen chair that had been mine since I was a child.

"Did you have fun last night?" Charlie asked from behind his paper.

"It was good seeing everyone again," I practically croaked, my throat sore from the crying jag I'd allowed myself.

"When are you heading back today?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, though he couldn't see me. This was always his way. He asked question after question to draw out the information he wanted, instead of just getting to the point. "I'm not sure. I'll have to check with Edward and Alice."

Dad's paper lowered so that he could peer over the top. "Speaking of Edward, I was kind of surprised to find you here this morning. Want to tell me what happened?"

I shook my head. "It was just a misunderstanding of sorts, and I needed some distance. How was your night?"

He pursed his lips and folded the paper neatly. "Uneventful. Bob and Cynthia Gerandy are visiting their kids in Spokane until Tuesday. I thought perhaps that we could pay Susan Mallory a visit before you leave."

My nerves returned full force. Unable to speak, I nodded.

"Then you should go get cleaned up. It's already after ten," Charlie said, depositing his own cup in the dishwasher.

I ran upstairs and grabbed my toiletries, intent on letting the water soothe me. It wasn't as helpful as I'd hoped, though. The physical manifestation of the previous night's pain was easy to wash away, but the ache of knowing that Edward hadn't called yet this morning and that it was likely I'd have to face Susan Mallory on my own couldn't be solved with a loofa.

Hurriedly, I slipped on my jeans and a knit shirt, and then grabbed my purse. The message light was blinking, and I saw that I'd missed a call from Edward.

He didn't sound much better than I felt when I listened to his message. _"Bella, it's . . . it's me. Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. Please call me back so we can talk. I love you."_

Before I could second guess myself, I dialed his number and heard a phone ring in the living room. I hung up and went downstairs. Edward and Charlie were sitting on the couch, waiting for me. They looked up at the same time, and I could see how tired Edward was.

"I'm going to grab a few things from my office," Charlie said gruffly. "I'll give you two a minute."

Edward was on his feet and on the way over to me before I could even really process that he was here. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude, but I had to see you," he said.

"It's fine." I gave him my best attempt at a smile, but with all of the emotions flooding me, it probably looked more like a grimace. "I just got your message."

"Bella, I'm . . ."

"Why don't we . . ."

We started at the same time. Edward motioned for me to go first.

"Dad wants to go see Susan Mallory this morning, since Dr. Gerandy's out of town until Tuesday," I said. "Do we have time to go?"

"Sure. We can leave whenever you want. Alice called me this morning to tell me that she is riding back with Angela. Do you . . . I mean, can I come with you?" he asked.

"Of course!" I exclaimed, shocked that he would think otherwise.

Dad chose that minute to return from his cave, holding a file and a notebook. He told us to get in the cruiser and ride with him over to the Mallorys' house.

"I'm letting you come with me because I know this concerns you and it's not official police business yet," he said as we parked in the driveway. "You will, however, let me ask the questions and do the talking. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," we answered together. When we climbed out of the car, Edward grasped my hand, and we silently followed Dad to the door.

A young boy answered the door, followed closely by Susan. She looked older than I remembered, but I supposed that ten years would do that. She peered out the door, and when she saw my father, she gasped and grasped onto the door for support.

"Chief?" she managed to eke out.

"Good morning, Susan. I'm sorry to barge in so early, but I wondered if we could have a few minutes of your time?" he said pleasantly.

She stared at him for a couple of seconds. "Lauren's okay?" she asked, as if seeking confirmation.

"As far as I know. I haven't heard any different," Charlie said, a little bewildered. I wondered who Lauren had gone home with and snickered at the possibilities.

Susan's shoulders sagged in relief. "Come on in. I'll make some tea. Caleb, go on upstairs and play for a little bit. We'll watch a movie when I've finished talking to Chief Swan."

She held the door open and placed her hand over her heart when she saw Edward and me with my dad. If I didn't know any better, I would have said she looked resigned.

"Please, have a seat," she said, pointing the kitchen table. Breakfast hadn't been cleared long before; toast crumbs still dotted the surface. Susan busied herself with the kettle, and while the water was boiling, she set out four mugs. Before too many minutes passed, she poured the hot water over the bags in our mugs and set out a sugar bowl and a small pitcher of milk.

When she finally took her seat, she looked at my dad and said sadly, "I've been expecting to see you at some point."

"Why so?" he asked.

She frowned. "I knew you'd have questions for me when Bob retired and the Cullens moved to town. Of all the places in the Pacific Northwest, he had to pick here."

"Why don't you tell me what you know?" Dad led. He still hadn't told her why we were here, but it didn't seem like she needed the prodding.

She turned away from my dad and looked at me and Edward. "I know that raising a baby when you're still a baby yourself is hard, so I wasn't surprised when Bob told me you all had decided on adoption, but I was surprised when he said that it would be closed and that you didn't want any details. You weren't detached like I thought you'd be. And when you kept talking to Ryan, I knew that whatever you did, you did out of love for your son. That's why I told them to call him Ryan. Even if you never knew him, that was his name." Her eyes welled up a bit, and she took a sip of tea.

"Just to be clear, Susan. Bob Gerandy told you that Edward and Bella had decided to put the baby up for adoption, and after the birth, you delivered their son to the Cullens," Dad asked, confirming what she'd seemed to imply.

Susan blinked. "Well, essentially yes. Ed Masen had asked Bob to talk to them, to try to sway them from their decision to keep the baby. A few weeks later, Bob told me that the kids had changed their minds. I left as soon as the pediatrician cleared the baby for travel."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. "He told me my son was dead," I spat at her, and she gasped. "I've lived for ten years thinking that my child died, when really, you stole him?"

Edward tugged me back into my seat—I hadn't realized I was standing—but he looked as angry as I was.

"Bella," my dad warned.

Susan was shaking her head. "No, that's not what happened. You chose to put your child up for adoption."

"No, Mrs. Mallory, we didn't," Edward said in a calm, but deadly voice.

She was shaking, the tea sloshing out over her hand. Charlie reached over and took it out of her hand. "I'm going to need you to come down to the station this afternoon and make a statement, Susan."

Her eyes were glossed over as she looked at Charlie. I wasn't sure she was really seeing him, but she nodded. "As soon as Lauren gets home. I can't leave Caleb here by himself."

"Thank you for your hospitality," he said, and it was clear he meant to leave.

Edward went rigid beside me. "You aren't going to do anything?" he snarled at Charlie.

Charlie glared at Edward. "I'm going to get in my car and go to the police station. You are going to get in my car and go to the police station." His tone left no room for argument.

Edward pushed away from the table and stormed out the door. I followed Charlie in a daze. Ryan Cullen was my son. My son was alive and well and living in Forks, my hometown. My son had no idea who I was.

"Why didn't you arrest her?" Edward demanded as soon as Charlie shut his door.

"Because I need her statement, Edward. Besides that, no one has filed a complaint," Charlie answered.

"Well, this is me filing a complaint," he snarled. "That woman stole my son."

Charlie's knuckles were white against the steering wheel. "That's why we're going to the police station, Major Masen. Now cut the attitude!"

Edward flopped back against the seat, breathing heavily, while I stared out the window. Several moments passed before I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Bella, are you okay?"

"I don't know," I said, mystified. I had no idea what to think. My whole world had up-ended itself in one weekend.

Dad parked in his designated spot and let Edward out of the back seat. Before I could get the door open, Edward was there, helping me out. Charlie ushered us into the station, and pulled Mark, his deputy, off the front desk.

"Mark, I need you to take a statement for me," Charlie told him and brought us all into his office. "Bella, Edward, tell your statement just as you would have before this morning." He was warning us not to let on that we'd heard Susan Mallory's confession. We both nodded in understanding, and Charlie left the room.

It took over an hour and lots of tears to get our story down on the official police record. Edward held me while I relived the devastation, and he wiped my tears away. Somehow, telling it all with Edward there was cathartic. I felt lighter when Mark finally left the room to file the complaint.

"I'm sorry," Edward whispered, anguished. "For not being there then and for being such an asshole last night. I'm so sorry, baby."

"I know you didn't want to leave," I sniffled.

Edward shook his head and held me close. "I should have fought more. I knew you were hurting, but I couldn't see past my own pain. I've still been wearing those blinders, doing what I thought was best—what was best for me—and I've hurt you all over again."

I started to argue with him, but he was right. He had hurt me. Time and time again, he'd told me that I was the most important person in the world to him and that he loved me, but he couldn't even tell his parents about me. That stung a lot.

As if he knew where my thoughts were, he said, "I called my mom this morning."

"And?" I asked, wary.

"After she bawled me out for waking her up at eight o'clock on a Sunday morning, she asked if everything was okay. I asked her why she'd told Mrs. Crowley that Tanya and I were still together." He shook his head. "She said that she thought we'd come to our senses and realize that life is too short to waste without the ones you love. I told her she was right."

I stiffened, but kept my mouth shut.

He shifted me to loosen my locked shoulders. "I told her that I'd spent too many years without the only woman I'd ever love and now that I'd found her again, I wasn't going to let her go. That any feelings I'd ever had for Tanya paled in comparison to what I felt for you—feel for you."

"I bet she didn't like that," I laughed through my tears.

"She didn't say much, no," he admitted. "Contrary to what you might believe, Bella, my parents didn't hate you. They just wanted a different life for me."

I hummed, not sure whether to believe that or not. I knew that he wasn't lying, _he _believed it, but when confronted with the reality of us as a couple, I wondered if they would be supportive of his happiness. We sat in silence for a few more minutes, taking strength from each other. My dad shattered that peaceful illusion when he opened the door and the painful reality of why we were here rushed back.

Dad looked weary when he sat down behind his desk and faced us. "Your complaint has been filed. Susan Mallory will give her statement this afternoon, and I've called the Cullens to come down to the station, as well, to make their story official. I'm not sure what you want to do here, but you need to consider all the implications before you decide. If this goes to court, there will be a fight."

"What do you mean, 'if this goes to court?'" Edward asked.

"Ryan will be ten next month, Edward. There will be custody hearings to determine where he should live and what is in his best interest," Charlie answered delicately. "Before you go down that road, the two of you need to talk, decide what you want from this situation, and be prepared to see it through."

I shuddered. Charlie was right; I hadn't thought about what we would do and what the implications of this were. Edward stilled beside me.

"It's probably best at this point if you go back to Seattle tonight as planned," Charlie suggested. "Talk this over with each other and with an attorney that specializes in family law."

I knew he was right, but the very idea of leaving my son without ever speaking to him made me want to cry.

"He's not going anywhere, Bells," Dad reminded me gently. "Seattle's only a few hours away, and if anything happens or changes, I'll call you. Until you make some decisions, we don't need to upset Ryan needlessly."

Edward and Charlie agreed that it would be best if we weren't here when the Cullens came in to give their statement to the police. Part of me was hurt that they would even consider that I would cause a scene, but upon reflection, my behavior over the last two days hadn't been entirely rational. I hugged my dad, and then got into the passenger's seat of Edward's car. He stopped by The Lodge to gather his things first, since it was closer. After he handed over the room keys, he turned the car toward Charlie's so I could gather my stuff.

It had been a long time since Edward had been in my room in Forks. The smirk on his face told me that he remembered exactly what we'd been up to the last time we were here alone. I'd been too pregnant and uncomfortable to have sex, but Edward had kept me thoroughly sated with his mouth and fingers.

"Do you need some stress relief?" he asked, trying and failing to keep the smile from his face.

I quirked my eyebrow at him. "Are you offering?" We might not have been in the best place in our relationship at the moment, but physical relief sounded heavenly.

His hands snaked around my waist, and he pushed his hips into mine. "I'm always offering." His voice was low and seductive.

My eyes fell closed as our lips met languidly. I could feel his desire growing against my stomach, and that only made mine increase along with it. Edward's lips trailed down my neck as his hands wandered underneath my shirt, bunching it up in his hands as he went.

It wasn't long before my shirt was lying in a pile on the rug. Edward pushed me backward onto the small bed, and my fingers unhooked the belt that was in front of my face. I tugged his t-shirt out of the way and watched with hooded eyes as he yanked it over his head.

Years in the Army had left Edward's body lean and cut. The ridges of his muscles twitched underneath my fingertips as I glided them along his abs, and then followed them with my lips. It didn't take more than a few seconds before Edward hooked his fingers into the waistband of his jeans and boxers and shoved those down his legs.

Edward at seventeen had been well-endowed, but he hadn't stopped growing . . . anywhere. I went to take him into my mouth, but he didn't give me opportunity.

"You can do that later," he grunted as he pulled me up the bed and yanked off my jeans and underwear. "Right now, I can't wait to be inside you." With one swift thrust, he sank into my body.

It was all I could do to meet him thrust for thrust, moan for moan.

Always eager to please me first, Edward snaked his hand between us and rubbed my clit. He pounded into three more times, before I shattered with a scream. He followed me into oblivion and collapsed on top of me. The bed creaked under our combined weight, making me giggle.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked, pretending to be affronted. "There was nothing funny about that. Do I need to show you how unfunny that was?" He flexed his hips again, but his point was lost as he was softening inside me. We weren't horny teenagers anymore.

"I don't think this bed can withstand much more action," I told him.

He laughed and raised up. "I don't think I want to have to explain to Charlie how it ended up in pieces. Hiding the crack in the headboard was bad enough."

I giggled again, remembering how Edward had scoured furniture stores for some sort of varnish to mask the damage. Carefully, he slid down next to me and pulled me into his chest so that we could both squeeze on the twin bed.

"I love you, Bella. I hope you know that. I fell in love with you at fifteen, and I never stopped, even when it seemed like I would never see you again," he murmured into my ear.

"Why didn't you ever try to find me?" I asked. After all, he knew where I was, but I'd had no clue where he'd ended up.

Edward sighed. "At first, it was the embargo by Mom and Dad, and then school got in the way. By the time my life settled down enough for me to consider it, almost three years had passed. You were away at school, and I didn't want to upset whatever life you'd rebuilt for yourself. And part of me was afraid that I would find that I didn't have a place in it anymore. I figured maybe it was better for me to believe you'd moved on and still hang on to the hope, than to have it confirmed."

"I tried, you know," I said in the spirit of honesty. "During my sophomore year of college, I went to a party with Alice and met this guy, Garrett Coates. There was never any pressure with him." I snorted. "He was high most of the time, but a very mellow guy. He balanced out a lot of my sadness and just let me be."

"Why didn't it work?" Edward asked. His tone was open; there was no judgment, and if there was jealousy, he hid it well.

I laughed. "Because he couldn't take anything seriously, and eventually, his free and easy ways just didn't do it for me. I was barely strong enough to carry my own burdens; I couldn't shoulder his, as well. Most of all, though, he wasn't you. You were the man I measured everyone else against, and no one came close."

"How do I measure up now?" he asked seriously.

He wasn't just asking how he measured up to his seventeen year old self, and we both knew it. I'd created an ideal in my mind that no man could live up to. Enough time, and therapy appointments, had passed for me to see the pedestal I'd put him on and bring it down to a more manageable level. "You're up there," I said with a wink.

"As much as like lying here naked with you," he said. "We should get dressed and head on home. We have some decisions to make, and I just don't feel right talking about our ten year son while staring at your tits."

We both laughed at his crude statement, but sat up and found our clothes. As rushed as our coupling had been, it was just what we needed to diffuse the stress the weekend had provided. In a lot of ways, I thought, our argument from the night before had been good for us. While I never liked fighting with Edward or feeling second best, I'd gotten some insight into his life while we were apart. He hadn't fared better than I did, as I'd erroneously believed all this time.

"Where did you go?" Edward asked as I finished loading my bag. "You were a million miles away."

"Just thinking." I shrugged. "Do you ever wonder where we would have ended up had everything not exploded the way it did?"

"All the time," he said, hoisting my bag onto his shoulder. "We wouldn't be where we are now, that's for sure. I'd like to think we'd still be together, but who knows?"

We settled into the car and drove out of town. I tried not to think too much about the fact that I was knowingly leaving my son behind.

"Do you think there's a chance they'd give us custody of Ryan?" Edward asked as we passed by the hospital.

"Do you _want_ full custody of Ryan?" I asked, surprised.

Edward hesitated. "He is our son," he hedged.

"But there's a lot more to it than that," I added. "We can't provide as stable of a home for him as the Cullens do. We aren't married, and we don't live together. With us, he would either be ferried back and forth, or we'd have to make some pretty drastic changes in our lives. For that matter, he might not want to live with us."

Edward's head whipped to the side, and he stared at me.

I clarified, "Ryan's ten, babe. They'll ask his opinion and consider what he wants, too. If some strangers knocked on your door at ten years old and said they were your parents and you had to go live with them, how would you have reacted?"

"At ten? I would have thrown a fit. At seventeen, I would have grabbed my already packed bags and left," he said with a laugh to let me know that he wasn't completely serious. "I hadn't thought of it that way. But what does that mean for us?"

"I don't know, but I think that's what my dad meant when he said that we had a lot of talking to do. The adoption wasn't legal, because neither of us ever signed anything terminating our parental rights. Legally, I think they'd have to return him to us, as we are his parents, if we insisted upon it. I just don't know if that's the right thing to do." I rubbed my temples with my fingers. "The Cullens are the only family he's ever known."

"We shouldn't even have to have this conversation," Edward snarled in frustration. "He should have stayed with us from the moment he was born."

Susan Mallory's words whispered in my ear, and I blurted out my thoughts before I could sensor myself. "Edward, you don't think your dad had anything to do with this, do you?"

**Now, before I run and hide, since I know ALL of you have already been thinking this, I want to hear from you again. Thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Do I need to say it again? Recognizable stuff belongs to the respective owners. That is all. **

**A/N: Thank you to IrishEyesMasen for the rec this week and to anyone else that has spread the word! You have no idea how thrilled I was! And thank you to all of you who read week after week. Thank you to Jenny Cullen for her beta skills. She makes my stuff make sense. **

**More at the bottom! On to the chapter:**

**Chapter 7**

Edward's face drained of color. His knuckles gripped the steering wheel so hard, they turned white, and I could see him gritting his teeth. I hadn't meant it to sound like I was accusing Ed Masen of anything—I couldn't imagine that he could be so heartless towards his child and grandchild. The fact remained, though, that Mr. Masen had gone to see Dr. Gerandy months before Ryan's birth, around the time that the Cullens were approached about a private adoption.

"I'll kill him," Edward said through his teeth. His voice was menacing, and I was glad I wasn't on the other end of his ire. "If my father engineered this, I will end him."

"Edward," I said soothingly, backtracking. "I'm sure he didn't. He did want us to put Ryan up for adoption, so maybe he did go see him in hopes that Gerandy could convince us. You know we wouldn't hear anything from your dad."

"What if that's where Gerandy got the idea from, Bella? He already knew that we were determined to raise Ryan. He asked us every time we saw him. Maybe knowing that my father wanted Ryan out of our lives convinced Gerandy that neither of us would hunt for him if we suspected anything." Edward was getting more worked up by the minute. "Ten years, Bella. That man denied us ten years together and ten years with our son!"

Edward pulled over at a rest area and bounded from the car, unable to sit still any longer. I let him pace for a moment. Finally, when I couldn't stand it any longer, I walked over to him and laid my hand on his arm to still him. The wild look in his eye hadn't dissipated.

"I don't want to believe he'd do that to me. It just . . ."

"Edward, I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking. I'm sure your dad didn't have anything to do with Ryan's kidnapping." It was the first time either of us had put what really happened into words. Our son hadn't died. He'd been kidnapped at birth.

"I don't know, Bella. He's had my whole life planned out for me since I was little. These goals for me that weren't mine. He knew how much I loved you, and he tore us apart anyway." He sounded anguished at the thought, but at least he'd stopped moving.

"Let's see what Dr. Gerandy has to say before jumping to conclusions," I said. "All we can do is take this one thing at a time."

After a few more deep breaths, Edward nodded, and then walked back to the car with me. He remained quiet as we pulled into traffic and resumed our trip home.

"Do you know any family law attorneys in Seattle?" Edward asked when he finally spoke. His voice was much calmer.

"There are a few we work with at the office when necessary. I'll talk to Zafrina in the morning and see who she would recommend. She's going to have a field day with this," I muttered.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

I grimaced. "Zafrina is also my therapist and has been for six years."

He frowned. "Is she one of the ones that told you that your dream was a 'coping mechanism?'" His sarcasm was clear.

"She was," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "And until this weekend, I thought that was a reasonable conclusion. There was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Ryan wasn't dead, other than dreams by a distraught and grieving mother."

He didn't appear pleased by my assessment, but he didn't comment further. I wasn't sure we'd resolved anything, either in our relationship or in Ryan's situation, but I was too tired to discuss it further. When Edward parked in front of my apartment, he kissed me absentmindedly and said that he would call me the next day. The weekend that was meant to bring us closer had only thrown up roadblocks; things that should have given us happiness had only brought pain.

Alice wasn't home when I went in, which was just as well, since I wasn't ready to talk yet, and I knew she'd insist. I left my suitcase packed, took a hot shower, and crawled into bed. I hadn't felt that alone in years.

Just before I fell asleep, my phone chimed with an incoming message.

_Wanted to tell you that I love you. Sorry about earlier. My head's all over the place. I miss you. _

Edward's words lifted some of the strain on my heart. I typed back quickly, telling him I loved him, too, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I was in the office early, way before either Zafrina or Kate. Luckily, our receptionist came in around eight to answer the phones and prepare the office for the appointments that began at nine.

"Chelsea, does Zafrina have any openings today?" I asked, peering over the desk at the appointment calendar. Playfully, she covered the screen with her hand and pretended to scowl at me.

"Don't you go peeking at my schedule," she teased. "You need to take a slot today?"

"Um-hmm," I hummed.

She clicked her mouse and scanned the calendars. "She has a ten o'clock open, but you have Chris Cavendish coming in at nine."

I groaned. Chris was prone to going long, and I usually needed to spend thirty or forty minutes decompressing and assessing once we finished. It would have to wait today, though. "Pencil me in," I told her. "Chris is just going to have to learn to stick to his hour today."

Even though I'd warned Chris when he walked in the door, he did not in fact, adhere to his one hour time limit. Sometimes I suspected that his parents continued his therapy so that they could get a reprieve from his incessant chatter. So it was ten after when I finally ushered him out the door and slipped into Zafrina's office.

"Does he ever stop?" Zafrina asked with a chuckle.

I groaned. "I don't think he does. It's a wonder he hasn't lost his voice. Permanently."

She grinned at me for a second, and then her expression turned serious. "Since you insisted on seeing me first thing this morning, I take it that this weekend did not go well?"

"It was interesting." I sighed. "First, I need the name of the best family law attorney you know."

Zafrina sat up straighter and eyed me warily. "This sounds serious." She held up one finger and hit the intercom button on her phone. "Kate, are you free right now?"

"_Yeah, my next appointment is at noon. What's up?"_

"Come into my office, please," she ordered, rather than asked. When something affected the practice or one of us severely, we met as a group and discussed the implications before acting.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked, wincing at her look of disapproval.

"Perhaps, but if you need an attorney, I think a second opinion might be a good idea," she answered.

Kate already knew my history—I'd talked to her about it on occasion—but my nerves ratcheted up at the thought of exposing it all to both of my colleagues, even if it was necessary. Kate opened the door and patted my knee as she sat down.

"Bella asked me for the name of the best family law attorney we know this morning," Zafrina informed her.

"Uh oh, that sounds serious," she said, her gentle smile comforting.

I took a deep breath, before I launched into the details. "You both know that I lost my son during childbirth when I was seventeen." They nodded. "I discovered this weekend that he did not die like we were told, but rather, he was stolen and essentially sold."

Zafrina's eyes widened almost comically, and Kate gasped.

"The doctor that ran the hospital and delivered Ryan retired, and a new doctor moved in with his family, against Dr. Gerandy's wishes. Their son, Ryan, who will turn ten on June third, is the spitting image of Edward. When we dug a little further, we discovered that Dr. Gerandy told the nurse that we'd agreed to a closed adoption, and she delivered our son to his new parents." I stared at my hands. "I have no idea what to do. I'm well versed with the psychological impacts this could have on all of us, but I'd like to talk to someone with more knowledge on the legal side."

"Aron Michaels," Kate said immediately. "You need to talk to him."

Zafrina nodded her head in agreement.

"Thank you," I told them. "I'll do my best not to let this interfere, but . . ."

Kate cut me off. "Don't do that. We are here to support you. This is your child we're talking about, and nothing, _nothing_ is more important than him. I'll put the number on your desk so you can finish talking with Zafrina, but if you need anything, my door is _always_ open for you."

"Thank you," I whispered, standing to hug her before she left the room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Zafrina pinned me with an intense stare. "What else happened this weekend?"

I opened and closed my mouth a few times before I could find the words. "How did you know?"

One manicured eyebrow rose on her forehead. "I know you. Now spill."

For the next twenty minutes, I told her about Tyler's news and Edward's subsequent half-assed explanation. I told her how it made me feel and what my fears were for the future. Once the verbal vomit stopped, Zafrina pondered for a moment.

"Has Edward ever done anything to make you believe he's not as invested in this relationship as you are?" she asked.

"Other than not telling his family that he's in one?" I responded, astonished.

She shook her head. "Let me rephrase. Has he given you cause to believe that if his parents express disapproval, he will end the relationship with you?"

"He's already done it once," I muttered.

"Bella, he was seventeen years old," she reminded me gently.

"I know. I'm just not sure I can stand it again, especially now that we know we have a living, breathing child living a few hours away." The thought of having to see him with Ryan and knowing that we weren't together was extremely painful.

"Give him a chance, Isabella," she advised. "It sounds like he's wrestling with his own demons. Every relationship we enter into, whether it be as friends, lovers, or co-workers, has the chance to end in failure. Only you can decide if the relationship is worth the risk of possible heartache."

I mulled through her words for a second. "Thank you." I stood to leave.

"Anytime. You know that," she said with a smile.

Thankfully, Chris hadn't really told me anything overly profound in his monologue today, so my notes were not as extensive as they were some days. The number Kate left on my desk called to me, and before my next appointment could barge in, I dialed the phone.

"_Michaels,__Whitney,__and__Green.__How__may__I__direct__your__call?__"_ the pleasant voiced receptionist said.

"Aron Michaels, please."

"_One moment."_

"_Aron__Michaels'__office,__"_ a different, but still business like voice answered.

"Hi, this is Dr. Isabella Swan, and I need to consult with Mr. Michaels on a custody issue," I said.

"_Yes,__ma__'__am.__Kate__Garfield__said__that__you__would__be__calling.__Mr.__Michaels__has__an__opening__at__four__o__'__clock__this__afternoon.__Will__that__work__for__you?__"_

I smiled to myself. It figured that Kate had called ahead; she truly was one of the sweetest people I knew. My calendar was free after three, but I grabbed my cell out of the drawer and dialed Edward's number after asking Aron's secretary to hold.

"_Hey,__" _Edward answered. He still sounded glum. _"__I__'__m__sorry__I__haven__'__t__had__a__chance__to__call__yet.__It__'__s__been__crazy__around__here__this__morning.__"_

"It's fine," I told him, willing myself to believe it. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have Aron Michael's office on the other line. They want to meet with us this afternoon at four."

"_Aron Michaels?"_

"He's one of the best attorneys in the city, according the Kate and Zafrina. Family law ones, anyway," I said.

"_Oh.__Shit.__Yeah,__I__'__ll__be__there.__" _He covered the receiver, but I could still here him yelling in the background. "_Jazz,__I__need__you__to__cover__for__me__this__afternoon.__I__'__ve__gotta__leave__at__three-fifteen.__Thanks,__man.__"_

When he came back to the line, he sounded a little more frazzled. "_Can__I__pick__you__up__so__we__can__go__together?__" _

"Sure. Just meet me at my office," I told him.

"_Good.__Well,__um,__shit,__I__'__ve__got__a__lot__to__do__before__then.__I__love__you,__baby,__"_ he said, and I laughed.

"Get your work done. I love you, too."

I confirmed the appointment with Mr. Michaels' secretary and tried to pull my focus back to my patients. There was nothing else I could do until we met with him, and worrying over it wouldn't accomplish anything.

Edward was right on time, though clearly nervous. I watched him as I walked out of the building toward his waiting car. He kept running his fingers through his hair and looking at the watch on his wrist. His head whipped around when I opened the car door, and he sighed, almost in relief.

"Relax," I laughed as he looked at his watch again. "His office is less than fifteen minutes away. We have plenty of time."

He gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm just nervous."

His phone rang before I could respond, and he sighed when he looked at the screen. He gave me an apologetic smile and put the phone to his ear as he pulled away from the curb.

"Hi, Mom."

I stopped breathing. What was the correct protocol here? Did I sit in silence and pretend I wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation?

His next words answered that for me. "No, I haven't . . . Mom . . . there hasn't been time . . . okay, fine." He turned to me, holding the phone away from his ear. "My mother would like for me to tell you hello, that she's missed you, and that she can't wait to see you."

He put the phone back to his ear; I just stared at him in shock. "Yes, she's right here. No, you can't. We're on our way to a meeting, so I can't talk long. Okay, Mom, I will. Yes. Love you, too. Bye." Edward hung up the phone and stared out the window without breathing for several seconds.

"So, that was my mother. She wanted me to hand the phone over, but I thought I'd spare you for today," he informed me.

"She wanted to talk to me?" I asked, shocked.

He rolled his eyes. "Apparently, once she got over her shock, she's delighted. She called me back last night after I texted you and demanded details. I wouldn't have answered, but it's the third time she's called me this morning."

I smiled. "She misses you," I said softly.

"Yeah," he muttered, embarrassed. His face, however, soon lost that look, and it was replaced by something more serious. "Are we okay?" His eyes flitted between my face and traffic.

"I guess so." I shrugged and stared at my hands instead of his face. "Do you understand why I was so hurt?"

"I do, but it wasn't my intention to hurt you," he argued.

"I know that, but it scared me a lot. You are your own man now, but I don't want to be the source of strife between you and your parents. You spent too many years upset with them, and if they didn't approve, I'd feel like I was making you choose." Voicing those fears to him was easier than I'd thought it would be.

"Oh, Bella, that's not going to happen," he whispered. "All my mom wants is for me to happy. When she called me back last night, she said that she'd heard the change in my voice over the last few months. She was just surprised."

"But your dad?" I pointed out. I didn't hold out as much hope for his approval.

"Fuck him," Edward growled. It seemed he wasn't over his pique from the way home. I wasn't touching that with a ten foot pole.

For the rest of the drive, I sat and thought about Edward and his parents. When he was young, Edward used to help his dad on home improvement projects, and they'd throw a baseball around on sunny days. Things weren't the same between them after I got pregnant. They fought a lot and completely stopped spending time together. It didn't sound like things had gotten much better, if Edward could believe that his father had anything to do with Ryan's kidnapping. I also noticed that when Edward was talking about reconciling with his parents, he mentioned writing to his mom, but he never mentioned his dad. Perhaps they'd just put a band-aid on things for his mother's sake.

We arrived at Aron Michaels' office almost twenty minutes early. Instead of sitting in the car, Edward and I decided to go on up and just wait in his waiting room. Since we hadn't yet decided what we wanted the outcome to be, I felt like we were flying blind. With any luck, Mr. Michaels could give us a decent idea of what we were facing and what our options would realistically be.

As it was, by the time we found his office and checked in with his secretary, we had less than ten minutes before our appointment. Janelle, his secretary, got each of us a bottle of water inscribed with the law firm's name. No sooner had I taken my first sip to calm my nerves, the intercom on Janelle's desk beeped, and a deep, male voice told her to see us in.

Aron Michaels looked nothing like I expected, though I wasn't even sure exactly what that was. He was of average height and thin. His brown hair was short and neatly combed, and he had a short goatee on his chin. He held out his hand for each of us to shake, and then motioned for us to sit in the chairs across from his desk.

"Thanks for seeing us on such short notice, Mr. Michaels," I said.

"I'm glad that I could, Dr. Swan. Please, call me Aron. To be perfectly honest, Kate indicated that the case would pique my interest, and I cleared my schedule. She didn't give me any other details, though, so why don't you and Major Masen tell me what the situation is." Mr. Michaels' voice was surprisingly pleasant and soothing.

I looked over at Edward and nodded at him to begin.

He took a deep breath and launched into the story. "During our senior year of high school, Bella and I got careless, and she became pregnant. We decided that we would keep the baby and go to school locally so that we would have the support, tenuous as it was, from our families. We named our son Ryan and did everything we could to prepare for his arrival. We're from Forks, Washington, and there really aren't a lot of choices where doctors are concerned. Dr. Robert Gerandy was it. He tried to convince us at each appointment that our child would have a better life if we put him up for adoption, but we didn't want a stranger to raise our son."

Aron nodded and scribbled on the legal pad in front of him. As soon as his pen stilled, he motioned for us to continue.

"You should do the next part, since I wasn't there," Edward said quietly.

Aron's brow furrowed as he watched our exchange.

"When Ryan was born, either I wasn't given any painkillers, or they weren't effective. The nurse in the room, Susan Mallory, and Dr. Gerandy were coaching me through the process, and he had me stop after Ryan's head came out so that he could unwrap the cord. I blacked out almost immediately after delivering the rest of him. When I woke, I was in another room, and Dr. Gerandy told me that Ryan had been stillborn."

Aron turned to Edward. "Did he take a breath?"

Edward grimaced. "I can tell you that answer now, but I wasn't in the room when he was born."

The confused look returned. "Pardon my ignorance, but why not? It seems like you were a fairly active partner."

"I wasn't allowed to be. Dr. Gerandy said that since I was not eighteen, I couldn't witness the birth of my own child."

Aron's eyebrows shot up, and he wrote something down furiously. "Go on," he urged.

"When we asked to see Ryan's body the next day, we were informed that the morgue had accidentally had him cremated," I said. "There was nothing for us to bury. Over the years, I've had dreams of hearing Ryan cry when he was born, but they were always dismissed by me and my therapists as wishful thinking."

"They weren't?" Aron sounded intrigued.

"This past weekend, we went to our ten year reunion. I went running with an old friend and saw the new doctor—Dr. Gerandy recently retired—dropping his son, Ryan, off for baseball practice. Anyone that's ever met Edward would be able to see that Ryan was his. As far as his looks, I'm pretty sure I didn't contribute anything," I laughed.

"Her dad is the Chief of Police," Edward said, resuming the story. "He and Bella went to the hospital where I met them to talk to Dr. Cullen. He and his wife adopted their son as a baby and named him Ryan after the nurse that brought him said that his parents had called him that in the womb. Susan Mallory later confessed that Dr. Gerandy told her that we'd agreed to a closed adoption and she is the one that delivered him to his new parents."

Aron stared at the two of us and blinked several times. Then, he took a swig of water. "Wow. That's . . . quite an ordeal. It sounds like Dr. Gerandy planned this, if he already had a couple waiting for the child."

"According to the Cullens, it was planned at least two months in advance," I supplied.

"Has Dr. Gerandy been arrested?"

Edward shook his head. "He's conveniently out of town until tomorrow."

"Of course he is," Aron muttered. "Well, my services are at your disposal. What do you want to do?"

I fidgeted in my chair, and Edward grabbed for my hand. "We wanted to know first what our options are," I said timidly. "We've talked a bit about it, but . . ."

Aron nodded. "Here's where it gets personal. I need you both to be completely honest with me, because if this ends up going to court, which I suspect it will, I don't like to be surprised. You will tell me anything I ask because it might be relevant. First, are you married, or have you ever been married?"

"No," Edward answered for both of us. "My parents moved me across the country after we lost Ryan. I joined the military after finishing West Point and moved to Seattle when I transitioned into the Reserves. We've been back together almost seven months."

"Any other children for either of you?"

We both responded in the negative.

"If you want me to file a petition to grant you custody of your son, I will file it and I will fight it for you, but you probably won't win unless there are serious issues with Ryan's adoptive parents," he stated baldly.

Edward stared at him open-mouthed, while my heart sank into my toes.

"Wh-Why do you say that?" I stuttered.

"The State of Washington takes a lot of things into account when placing a child, including the relationship between the child and the adults involved, the child's physical and emotional well-being, living situations, history, and the desires of the child, if they are old enough to make that determination. At ten years old, he wouldn't get to choose, but a judge would take what he wants into consideration when making the ruling," Aron told them. "Unless the Cullens are abusive, I would say that you have little chance of removing him from his home immediately. If Ryan were younger, it would be easier, but his age works against you here."

"What do we do, then?" Edward asked.

"First, I would suggest that we get a DNA test, just to confirm what we already know—that you are Ryan's biological parents. Once that is established, I would suggest that we file for visitation rights, if it's necessary. Given the circumstances, the Cullens may be willing to work with you. Do not be surprised if they fight back, though. For all intents and purposes, they are Ryan's parents, and just like you want to fight for him, they will fight to keep him."

**So . . . what do you think about Edward's mom now? And the meeting with the attorney? Come join the discussion on the forum or send me a review! I love to hear from you. As November inches closer, I want to remind you about the auction benefitting Alex's Lemonade Stand. The fandom has participated in this auction for the last several years and I am once again offering a chapter/one-shot/outtake of the winner's choice. Start planning now!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. GASP! I know you are surprised that I don't, but that is the sad truth. Really, Breaking Dawn wouldn't have happened if I did. **

**A/N: Wow! I've gotten so many positive responses this week. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Thanks to Jenny Cullen for her advice and beta skills. She's the best. Please check out the author's note at the bottom for some important information about the FGB charity compilation. **

**Chapter 8**

Edward and I left Aron Michael's office in a daze. He'd thrown a lot of options at us. At the end of the day, we'd agreed to have him draft the order for the DNA tests, to be done at Forks' Hospital. That just meant that Edward and I would have to go back down there this coming weekend.

After fifteen minutes of silence as Edward drove me back to my car, he broke it. "Let's go out, do something fun, date-y for a change."

I looked at him in disbelief.

He sighed. "Come on, Bella. Let's set this mess aside for the night and have fun like a normal couple. There's nothing we can do right now anyway. I want to spend some time with you, and if we stay in, all we're going to do is sit on the couch and pretend to watch a movie that neither of us is going to pay attention to."

When he put it like that, I had to agree. "Okay. Pick me up at six?" I wanted to change before we went out.

"Dress casually," he said with a smile.

Despite the blow we'd been given in the last hour, Edward's goodbye kiss was full of want and passion. It left me breathless and wanting more. His smirk told me that he knew exactly what he'd done.

It was a good thing I didn't want to do more than change my clothes when I got home. Alice was sitting on the couch waiting for me, none too patiently.

"You were MIA most of the weekend and were already asleep when I got in last night," she observed. "And you weren't too happy Saturday night at the reunion dinner. What gives?"

"Let me change, and I'll be back," I said, figuring I could buy myself a little time.

Alice, unfortunately, knew me too well. "I'll just come with you." She followed me into my bedroom and plopped down on my bed. "Spill."

I hesitated, not sure where to start. "Um, you remember that dream I had all the time?"

"The Ryan dream?" she asked.

"Yeah, that one. Well, it turns out that it wasn't so much a dream, as a memory."

"Huh?" Alice said eloquently.

I yanked off my skirt and hung it on the hanger. Once I was in my jeans and an off the shoulder top, I sat backwards in my desk chair and faced her, letting the whole story spill out, including Tyler's pronouncement and my reaction to it.

She just stared at me.

"Alice? Hello, Alice." I waved my hand in front of her face.

"Holy shit, Bella," she breathed. "You have a kid."

"I do. Edward and I went to see an attorney today. The chances of us getting him back are slim to none, though."

"I'm sorry, sweetie." She reached out and grasped my hand, squeezing lightly. "Is there anything I can do? Be a character reference?"

"It's not that simple." I told her what Aron had said about custody laws. "For now, all we can do is try to get to know him, if they'll let us."

"So what are the plans for tonight?" she asked, as if we were going to drive to Forks tonight.

I grinned. "We're going on a date—focus on us a little bit."

"That sounds like a fantastic idea," she agreed. "And you look great."

I got up and hugged Alice tightly. She truly was the best friend I could ever ask for. I knew that no matter what we did, she would support us.

Edward picked me up right on time. Our dates usually consisted of dinner, a movie, or both, so I was surprised when he pulled into the bowling alley and opened his door.

"We're bowling?"

"And eating," he added. "They have great burgers, or so I'm told." Suddenly, he looked nervous. "Is this okay? I mean, we can do something else if it's not."

Despite the fact that the mere idea of rental shoes freaked me out, I couldn't rain on his parade. "No, it's fine. I've just . . . I've never been bowling before."

"Never? Woman, you haven't lived!" We ran through the sprinkles to the front door and made it in just before the downpour started. "Actually, I was going to take you to play mini-golf, but . . ." He gestured to the torrent on the other side of the glass.

"Good call," I laughed.

"Come on, let's get our lane."

I followed him up to the counter, where I had to surrender one of my shoes. They put us on lane twelve and handed Edward a menu from the snack bar. While I inputted our names into the computer and rounded up a ball, Edward went and got us each a burger and fry basket. One bite in, and I was sold.

"Oh my God," I mumbled around the burger in my mouth. "This is incredible. Best date dinner ever."

Edward laughed and popped a fry into his mouth. "Good to know. Five dollar bowling alley burger beats fresh halibut at Waterfront Seafood." He'd taken me there for our second date, and I'd almost choked at the prices. He hadn't looked much better. The food was good, though.

"What can I say? I'm a cheap date," I quipped.

This time, Edward laughed so loudly, he attracted the attention of the people in the next lane. "Sweetheart, you are many things, but cheap isn't one of them."

"Shut up," I grumbled, but I couldn't help the smile on my face.

When the burgers were gone, Edward stood with his swirly blue ball, stepped fancily to the line, and launched it. Nine pins fell down. On his next throw, the last one crashed to the boards. He made it look so easy. Confident, I picked up my little ball, tried to imitate his footwork, and threw my ball. It hit the lane with a loud thud and rolled straight into the gutter.

Edward tried not to laugh, he really did, but the situation was too funny. "Here, let me help you," he suggested.

He put the ball in my hand properly—who knew you weren't supposed to use your index finger—and lined his body up with mine. I could feel every inch of him pressed against my back. I moaned slightly in response, my mind instantly transported to other times we'd been in this position with fewer clothes between us.

"Not that I don't appreciate your dirty mind, but now probably isn't the best time," Edward whispered into my ear.

He showed me how to step up to the line and brought my arm back with his, releasing the ball as we came forward. It was slow, as our movements had been, but instead of rolling to the side, the ball stayed true and knocked the fore pin down, as well as six others.

"I knew you could do it." Edward winked at me and gave me a bright smile. He took his ball and knocked all the pins down in one roll.

Eventually, I got more comfortable with the ball, and my game improved minutely. Winning wasn't the point, though. We had fun trading barbs and phrases heavily laced with innuendo. By the time we finished, I was ready to take him home and rip off his clothes. Instead, we stopped by a local diner for milkshakes and apple pie.

"Thank you for tonight," I said as I sipped the frosty concoction through my straw. "I had a lot of fun."

"Me, too," he agreed, taking my hand across the table. "I think we needed this." He looked like he had more to say and was trying to figure out how to word it, so I continued slurping my vanilla milkshake while he gathered his thoughts.

"I'm sorry it felt like I was hiding you from my parents. That was never my intention. For me, it was more about trying to find the right time to tell them and to reopen old wounds. I never considered what it would seem like to you. Now that I've told my mother, I wonder what I was so afraid of," he said, watching his thumb caress my knuckles.

"And I'm sorry I assumed you were hiding me from them. To be completely honest, I'm not sure I've ever fully forgiven them for the pain they caused when they made you leave, especially knowing that they intended to whisk you away without letting you say goodbye. I was already so raw that those emotions have mingled with all the ones from Ryan's supposed death, and they got locked away with the others. I couldn't shake the feeling that you would follow their wants again and leave me again when they disapproved." I tried to make everything I was feeling clear, but it was so jumbled in me, I wasn't sure I'd done it well.

He was quiet for a moment. "You had every right to be angry with them then. I'm not sure they've ever considered how it impacted you, especially given what you were already going through. They didn't even think about how _I_ would feel. That's why we fought for so long. But you need to understand that this is one battle I would fight again because you are worth it to me. I love you. I always have, and I always will."

"But I don't want you at odds with them because of me," I argued. "That's not good for you, and it will only breed resentment between us."

"It wouldn't be because of you," he shot back. "It would be because of their own thoughtless actions."

I gave him a skeptical look.

"Bella, we have finally found each other after years of being miserable apart. Two days ago, we discovered that we have a living ten-year-old child, conceived out of our love. I'm not willing to be without either of you for the rest of my life. _You_ are my family and my future." His voice was firm; I could hear the conviction behind his words.

"Besides," he continued with a smile, "it's not an issue. My mom is happy for us, and Dad, well, I don't really care what he thinks at the moment. Let's go home." He stood up and pulled me to my feet.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He hummed and contemplated the answer. "My place," he decided. "We always go to yours, and tonight, I don't want to be disturbed."

"Just what do you have in mind?"

He laughed and grimaced at the wistfulness in my tone. "Sleeping? I haven't done that since Friday night, and I'm exhausted."

I rolled my eyes, but followed him to the car. I was almost as tired as he was, despite the rest I'd gotten the night before. Everything that had transpired since I woke Thursday had worn me down, as well.

Edward and I stayed with each other often enough that we each had pajamas in the other's home. I changed into a shorts and camisole set that Edward bought for me one day when we were at the mall, brushed my teeth, and dove under the covers before he even finished checking his email. He said something about another trace coming through, and I could hear him on the phone in the other room. I knew better than to wait up for him.

Sometime after midnight, cold feet snuggled up to my calves and Edward's body cradled mine. I turned my head to see him.

"Shh, go back to sleep," he whispered. "Sorry I woke you." I heard him breathe in deeply with his head near my hair, before my dreams returned.

Edward's alarm went off obnoxiously early—as in five o'clock early. I groaned in protest and stuffed my head under the pillow. His tired chuckle did not make me any happier.

"Wanna run with me this morning?" he asked.

"No," I protested. "I wanna go back to sleep."

"Then sleep," he said. "I'll reset the alarm, so you can get home and shower." His weight left the bed a few seconds later.

I never even heard the door to the apartment close.

I did get up in enough time to make it home to clean up before work. I had enough foresight to dress somewhat comfortably, because the day was long—it stretched late into the evening. Edward sent me a text midway through the day to tell me he would be on point for the next forty-eight hours and that he would call me when he had a free moment. It didn't happen often, but it usually meant that someone was doing something they shouldn't be.

Alice and I shared a simple meal at home, like had once been routine. I called my dad, but he didn't answer. Dr. Gerandy was supposed to have returned home; I could only hope Dad was in the process of booking him.

When he hadn't called me back by noon the next day, I knew that something was wrong. He didn't answer his cell phone when I called that, so I dialed the station and demanded that Mark put me through to him.

"Why are you avoiding me?" I demanded as soon as he picked up the line.

"_Bella?__Uh,__hi,__sweetheart.__I__'__m__not__avoiding__you;__it__'__s__just__been__busy__around__here,__" _he tried to argue.

"Dad, it's Forks. Unless someone has gone on a killing spree, I highly doubt it's so busy, you can't answer your phone," I argued.

He chuckled uneasily; I could almost see him rubbing the back of his neck. "_Yeah,__well,__I__just__.__.__.__oh,__hell,__Bella,__I__wasn__'__t__sure__what__to__say.__"_

"What's wrong, Dad?" My father wasn't much of a talker, but he always found something to say when I called.

"_Bob__prolonged__his__trip.__His__kids__live__outside__my__jurisdiction,__so__there__'__s__nothing__I__can__do__until__he__comes__back__here,__" _he said mournfully. _"__I__'__m__sorry,__kid.__"_

"That's okay, Daddy. I understand. Just stay on him. Edward and I met with an attorney, and he's filed a motion to compel DNA tests to prove that Ryan is our son."

"_Are__you__sure__that__'__s__what__you__want__to__do,__Bells?__"_ It was clear he didn't agree.

"Mr. Michaels said we had little chance of getting custody back," I told him. "We're only doing what we have to do to know him."

"_You know I won't interfere, Bella, but are you sure this is the best thing for all of you? I don't want to see you hurt again like you were all those years ago if things don't work out the way you want them to." _

"It's all we can do, Dad," I said sadly.

We talked for a few more minutes, until it was time for my next appointment. I could hear his frustration that he couldn't fix this for me. I'd heard it a number of times over the years.

I still hadn't heard from Edward after my last appointment, so I spent some time going over the cases I'd had over the course of the day and dictating my notes. By the time I finished the last one, it was after seven, and I was barely keeping my eyes open.

I dragged myself through my door, intent on eating a bowl of cereal and watching a couple of shows I'd recorded on my DVR before I went to bed. Much to my surprise, Edward was sitting on my couch. Wine glasses and candles decorated the coffee table, and he was leaning against his knees.

"Edward? What are you doing here?" I asked.

He looked up and smiled, though it was tired. "I made you dinner. I thought we could relax in tonight."

"That sounds great. I'll be right back."

I walked back to my room, kicked off my shoes, and changed into my yoga pants and a tank top. When I came back into the living room, two plates of ravioli sat side by side and the wineglasses were full of dark red wine. Edward had the last episode of _House_ queued up on the TV.

"I love you," I said happily. "This is fantastic."

"Well, only the best for my girl," he teased. "Consider this my apology for being MIA the last two days."

I shrugged. "Duty calls." I knew that he loved what he did and that sometimes, the hours were long. I could understand that.

"Have you talked to your dad?" he asked as we started eating. The show remained paused.

"Gerandy hasn't come back yet. I think Dad's watching the road. Are you going to be able to go down there this weekend for the tests?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I should be able to leave around noon or one on Friday, but I'm going to have to work pretty solidly all next week."

"Should we postpone?" I asked, disappointed but trying to mask it.

"My reserve weekend is next weekend, so we really can't," he told me.

I chewed on my bite of food and checked my appointment calendar on my phone. I only had one appointment Friday afternoon, and I was fairly sure that it would be easy to move. "I'll make appointments with the lab in Forks for around five, then?"

He huffed. "Yeah, that sounds fine. I can't believe we have to prove that we're Ryan's parents."

"Me, neither," I sighed. "But if it's what we have to do to get him back, I'll do it."

Edward gave me a small smile as he held out the final bite of ravioli from his plate. He slipped it between my lips, and I groaned at the intimacy of the gesture. Our plates were soon forgotten, along with the TV show, as we lost ourselves in each other.

When Edward had set up our date, Alice had assured him that she planned to stay at Angela's new place; she was decorating while Angie was in the process of arranging her move. After we were both mostly naked, we decided to take it back to my bedroom in case Alice came in unexpectedly. My first order of business was to remove the jeans that sat low on Edward's hips, showcasing his abs and the rather impressive V that led to . . . well, to parts of him that deserved to be inside my mouth at the moment.

Edward didn't protest when I tugged on the button-fly and popped them open. Nor did he try to stop me when I yanked them down and sank to my knees.

"Uh . . . oh God, Bella," he mumbled as I took him all the way into my mouth—or at least as far as I could without gagging myself.

I wrapped one arm around his thighs and used the other to pump the part of his cock that I couldn't fit into my mouth. I set a rhythm, bobbing my head up and down. One of Edward's hands wound into my hair, gently guiding my rhythm and tugging slightly. I moaned as he pulled a little tighter. My moan set off a flood of expletives, and those set off a wave of arousal in me.

"Bella, I'm gonna . . ." he ground out; I sucked him in a little harder, praying that I could swallow without getting sick. He came in long spurts in my mouth, and I choked it all down. When I released him with a pop, he fell back onto the bed. I dashed into my bathroom to get a drink of water.

Edward hadn't moved by the time I came back. He cracked open his eye and smiled lazily at me. "Come here, baby," he crooned.

I crawled up next to him and kissed him lightly. He didn't let me pull away, though, like I'd planned to. Instead, his tongue stroked my bottom lip, begging for entrance. When I opened a little, his tongue delved into my mouth. I had to break away a few minutes later to breathe, and when I did, Edward trailed his lips down my neck. His hands slipped underneath my panties, rubbing my clit and driving me crazy.

"I believe I have a favor to return," he whispered against my skin.

"Y-You don't have to," I stuttered, though I really did want him to.

"You lie," he chuckled. "You know you want me to. Now, get up here."

I wasn't entirely comfortable essentially sitting on Edward's face, but I forgot all about that as his tongue licked up my slit and teased my clit. He pumped his fingers in and out of me, as he licked and nipped and sucked. I was lost in a haze of pleasure. My climax hit me hard, and I cried out as I came. My thighs were locked around Edward's head, but he gently lapped at me as I came down from my high.

Somehow, I managed to shift and lay down next to him. He kissed me goodnight and pulled the covers up around us. His still naked body was warm next to mine. I couldn't imagine anything more heavenly than that.

On Thursday morning, I took Edward up on his offer to go running at the crack of dawn. The endorphins flooded my body, making the day and my own outlook seem brighter. The pounding of my feet against the pavement and the thump of the music in my ears drowned out my thoughts and left me free to just feel for almost an hour.

Edward slipped into his car when we got back home. He had to get to his day, and I had to get mine started. I had a full day of patients, including the autistic young man that I'd moved from Friday afternoon. According to his text mid-afternoon, Edward would be working late into the evening.

I took a sack full of Chinese to the address Alice texted me once I'd finished for the day. Angela was moving into a nice house in the suburbs. She had given Alice free reign over the appearance of the place, but I had to admit that Alice had kept it perfectly . . . Angela. Large, cushy chairs surrounded a low table, and the entire arrangement faced a brick fireplace. Pictures of Angie's family lined the wood mantel—clearly she'd already sent some of her belongings ahead.

Alice dragged me into the kitchen, where white cabinets reflected in the sheen of the black countertops. A wrought iron table with inlaid white tiles sat near one end, but otherwise, the room was empty.

"Angela's appliances aren't supposed to be delivered until next week," Alice informed me.

"This place looks great, Alice. Angela's going to love it."

She gave me a nervous smile. "I hope so. I want her to like it here."

I set out the containers and laughed. "If she doesn't, I'll move in!"

Alice picked up her fork and pointed it at me with a glare. "Oh no, you don't. I have grand plans for your house one of these days. Besides, you aren't allowed to leave me just yet."

I rolled my eyes at her teasing. We ate our Chinese while catching up on our lives over the last few days. Alice had taken my advice and contacted the School of Design to find Angel's replacement. So far, three women and one very gay guy had come in to interview. One of the girls tried to tell Alice how to better design her own line, which had put her out of the running, but the other three candidates seemed promising. There weren't many specifics that I could give her about my patients, but I did relay some funny stories without names attached. It was relaxing and exactly what I'd needed.

Kate and Zafrina were understanding about my need to leave early on Friday. They both offered suggestions on how to approach Ryan if we were given the opportunity. I doubted that would happen, no matter how much I wanted it to.

Edward was idling in front of the apartment when I got home. He shut off the engine and jumped out to help me gather my bags. He seemed as eager as I was to get going. I still hadn't heard any news from my dad, but I hoped that he'd have something for us when we arrived.

During the drive, our conversation was somewhat stilted by our nerves, but we did manage to discuss the situation with Ryan some more. Edward wanted to eventually take custody of our son, if we were able. I was torn, and I told him so. I didn't want to get my hopes up for something that Aron had already told us was out of reach, at least for now.

We pulled into the parking lot just before five. I took a deep breath and tried to rally all my courage. This was it, the final hurdle to proving that we'd been deceived years before. This test would prove, once and for all, that Ryan Parker Cullen was our son.

**Hmm . . . leave me a review and let me know what you think. **

**Here's the deal with Fandom Gives Back: Instead of doing an auction as in years past, this year, they are doing a compilation. I have signed up to give an outtake or one-shot to this great cause. Here's what I need from you. There is a poll on my FF profile—tell me what you want to see. If you can't vote there, leave me a PM or a note on the forum. I will close the poll at the end of the week (October 29th), so please cast your vote before then. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to the respective owners. Is that clear enough?**

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone that has read and reviewed this week. I am so glad you are enjoying it. Thank you also to Jenny Cullen for betaing this mess. She makes my words a lot prettier. Please see below for another note. **

**Chapter 9**

The lab technician took a mouth swab and a blood sample from each of us, clearly labeling them for processing. Edward fidgeted the entire time, which calmed me, oddly enough. It might have had something to do with the fact that I knew he was anxious, too, and that I wasn't alone.

Dad met us at the door to the lab. "Hey, you two. I know you're probably ready to head over to The Lodge and settle in, but I have a few things I wanted to go over with you tonight."

"Sure, Dad," I agreed, casting a worried look at Edward.

Charlie didn't appear too happy, and that ratcheted up my anxiety. Edward simply took my hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. Whatever it was, we would deal with it together.

We followed Charlie to the police station, where he waited to escort us into his office. He looked unusually grave. When he motioned for us to sit, we complied immediately. "Yesterday, I brought Bob Gerandy in for questioning as soon as he returned from Spokane. It took some time, but eventually, he confessed to arranging the adoption of your son by the Cullens."

I gasped and covered my mouth with my free hand. Edward clutched the other as if it were a lifeline.

"His story was interesting, to say the least, and I'm not sure how I feel about all of it," he cautioned. "He has also agreed to share his version of the truth with you."

Edward stood immediately. "Well, let's go. I want to hear what that bastard has to say for himself. Is he still in his cell?"

Dad frowned. "Sit down, Edward. That's the other part of what I wanted to talk to you about."

Warily, Edward sat on the edge of his seat and retook my hand.

"I was able to get Bob's statement, but I was not able to arrest him. The statute of limitations in Washington is only five years for kidnapping. Since the crime occurred almost ten years ago, there's nothing I can charge him with." Charlie sounded angry at himself and the law.

"What the fuck, Charlie?" Edward exploded. "This man stole our son, told us he was dead, and lied about it for ten years. The only reason he came clean was because he was caught red-handed!"

"I know!" Charlie shouted back. "Don't you think I want to hit him with everything I can? Don't you think that for one minute, I considered beating him to within an inch of his life for the pain he put my daughter through? Don't yell at me or lecture me, Edward. You weren't here to feel the aftermath of his decision on her."

Edward slumped back in his seat, breathing heavily. His jaw twitched as he ground his teeth, and he blinked back tears. "That can't be it," he muttered thickly. "He can_not_ escape punishment for what he did to us."

My mind was a confused jumble, thoughts and feelings each vying for attention and outlet. Like Edward, I wanted to refuse to believe that such deeds were not outside the law, but that was indeed what my father was telling me, and I was certain that he'd examined every angle he could. To think that Gerandy engineered such an elaborate ruse and coordinated with a family he'd never met, in a home he never . . .

"What city did the Cullens live in?" I blurted out. In another situation, I would have found both men's expressions as they stared at me comical.

Dad consulted his notes. "When Ryan was born, they were living in Portland. A year later, they moved to Los Angeles, where they lived until recently."

I saw the comprehension dawn on Edward's face first, and then my father's. "A federal crime . . ." Edward whispered.

Faster than I thought possible, my dad turned to his computer and began typing. "Federal kidnapping charges require a minimum of twenty years in prison and have no statute of limitations. Neither does the buying or selling of children."

The implications of his statement hit me full force. By paying fifty thousand dollars for Ryan's adoption, the Cullens were guilty as well. Could I see them prosecuted for a crime they didn't know they were committing? Would Ryan ever forgive us if we did? Would he believe we hadn't done all we could to get him back if we _didn__'__t_?

"Alec Majors still works with the Bureau out of their Seattle office, I believe. I worked with him on a man hunt case a while back," Charlie explained as he picked up the phone and dialed a number in his Rolodex.

_Only__my__father__would__still__use__one__of__those,_ I mused.

While my father talked to his friend in the FBI, I turned to Edward. "Is this the right thing to do?" I asked him. I wanted Gerandy to pay for his part in the ordeal, but so many others would be caught up in the net along with him.

"Of course it is," Edward scoffed. "After everything we've been through, why wouldn't you want to see him rot in prison?"

"Because it's not just him," I said, shrugging. "His wife, children, and grandchildren will never see him outside of prison again. Susan Mallory is actually the one that transported Ryan to Oregon. Will we take her away from Lauren and Caleb, too? The Cullens _paid_ for him. Do we have them brought up on charges as well?"

I could see when my misgivings registered in Edward's expression. It softened and became more pensive. "I don't know, baby. I just know that I want Ryan back, and I want whoever broke our family ten years ago to pay for that."

I gave him a sad smile, because he was right. Even if it hadn't been Dr. Gerandy's intention, his decisions had had far reaching consequences for everyone involved. Edward could have died in Iraq or Afghanistan. The months and years of feelings of failure, insecurity, and pain had left me a changed person.

"Agent Majors is going to meet me in Seattle on Tuesday," Dad announced after hanging up the receiver. "He'll probably need to talk to the two of you, as well."

There was no question for either of us that we would make the time.

"Since you're already here," Dad said slyly, "I thought we could order a pizza at the house tonight. And you might as well stay to watch the baseball game tomorrow. Last Little League home game of the season."

"We can go watch Ryan play ball?" I gasped, excited beyond belief for something I'd once done only to see Edward in his baseball pants.

"From what I hear, he makes a mighty good short stop," Charlie commented.

Edward's eyes watered again at the reminder of how much his son was like him. Edward had played short stop all through Little League and high school, going so far as to help his team to the state tournament our junior year. "Pizza and Mariners tonight it is, Chief," he declared.

Watching Edward and my dad cheer on Dad's favorite baseball team—Edward had become a Mets fan when living in New York—while eating pizza and drinking beer brought a certain lightness to my chest. I didn't care about the game in the slightest, but I did care that my world was righting itself after so many years off axis. The man I loved and my father enjoyed each other's company, and the oppressive weight of death and loss no longer haunted us. Knowing that Ryan was alive and across town right at this moment was almost enough. If I worked hard enough, I could pretend that he was ours as he should have always been and was just spending the night with a friend.

Dad insisted that we not waste money on a room at The Lodge and made up the couch for Edward. I suspect he knew that I would end up there, as well, but he at least made a show of telling me that my bed had clean sheets. I changed in the bathroom and was sitting with my back against the headboard when Dad peeked his head in and wished me a goodnight. I heard his door close and readied myself to sneak down the stairs. Then, my door opened again, stopping me.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, when Edward motioned for me to scoot over and wiggled underneath my covers.

"I'm going to bed," he whispered. "If you want to sleep down there, be my guest, but I'd rather not wake up with springs sticking out of my back."

I giggled. "It's not that bad."

He raised his eyebrow and stared at me. "Bella, I've slept on the sand, on rocks, in the rain, and in the snow. I'm refusing to sleep on that mattress. It's that bad."

I laughed again and clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle the noise. My childhood bed was small, but we managed to smash ourselves together. As long as neither of us moved much, we'd be okay. And I got the bonus of sleeping cuddled very close to Edward.

When I woke in the morning, sunrays were filtering through the window and Edward was nowhere to be seen. As it was already after seven, I figured he'd been up for awhile, especially if he was trying not to let Charlie know he'd spent the night in my bed. On decent Saturdays, Charlie left before dawn for fishing trips with his best friend, Billy Black, so it would have had to be really early that Edward moved back downstairs.

Sure enough, when I traipsed downstairs, the sofa bed was folded back up and the sheets were neatly folded in a stack on the side. Voices from the kitchen drew me onward, and I turned the corner to see Charlie sitting at the table, reading the paper, and Edward leaning against the counter.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked. "Shouldn't you be on the river with Billy?"

"Some things are more important, Bells," he said simply, sipping his coffee and never taking his eyes of his paper.

Fishing was like a religion with Charlie, so to hear that he considered something more important than that was shocking. My astonishment must have been evident on my face, because when I didn't respond right away, Charlie looked up and snorted.

"I can go fishing any Saturday, but it's not every day that I can see my grandson play his first Little League game in Forks," he retorted.

Edward caught my gaze with a sad smile and watched as I struggled with my emotions. Hearing that, hearing my dad refer to Ryan Cullen as his grandson, stirred something within me. In my mind, I referred to the young man as my Ryan, mine and Edward's son, but to hear it put in plain terms regarding my father made it real to me. I was going to see my son play baseball, just like I'd watched his father so many times in our youth.

"Charlie, will us going to the game cause problems with the Cullens?" Edward asked.

"Well, I'm sure they won't be too happy about it, but there's not much they can say," Charlie answered. "It's a public field, and you have every right to be there. They may still ask that you not approach Ryan, though." Dad gave me a sympathetic smile, as if he knew how much that idea slew me.

"How long are we supposed to wait?" Edward asked. He held out his arm and cuddled me into his bare chest.

Dad shook his head and laid his paper down with a sigh. "That's a question for your attorney. The DNA tests usually take about a week, from what I understand. The criminal case will be separate from any custody or visitation arrangements you establish with the Cullens. It can only make things easier, though, if your faces are familiar, right?"

"What time is the game, Dad?" I asked to change the subject.

Dad glanced at his watch. "The game starts at ten, but we should get there a few minutes early if we want a seat."

The clock on the coffee maker said that it was almost eight o'clock, and I tried to weigh whether or not I had time for a short run. There was enough nervous energy coursing through my body to power all of Forks for a day. "Can we get out of here for a bit?" I asked Edward, trying to control my anxious bouncing.

"We should have time for a short run," Edward answered with a grin. "Go get changed, and we'll head out." It was a mark of how well he knew me that he knew just what I needed.

We didn't talk much as we ran around the edge of town. I let the sound of my feet hitting the pavement, the beat of my heart, and our combined panting drown out all my anxious thoughts regarding what was coming.

Everything returned full force as soon as we got home, though. In just a short while, Edward would see our son for the first time. He seemed as nervous about that as I was. When I found him pacing the living room after we'd both showered and dressed, I wasn't surprised. Dad offered to drive us all, but I thought it might be good if we had our own car, in case we needed to get out of there for some reason.

The baseball field was packed. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and of course, parents filled the bleachers. There was an empty space about halfway up that Edward, Dad, and I took. It seemed to be the only available spot. The kids were out warming up on the field, throwing the ball back and forth. Red jerseys, gray pants, and red ball caps filled the outfield as Forks' team practiced. The kids in blue from Port Angeles filled the other side. A whistle blew from somewhere below us, and all the players streamed into the dugouts. A few minutes later, the Forks Red Devils took the outfield.

"He's right there," I whispered to Edward, pointing to the space between second and third base where Ryan crouched.

Edward's eyes zeroed in on the little boy, and he inhaled sharply. "Damn, you weren't kidding."

I giggled. "Nope. Do you see how I knew?"

"Damn," he whispered again, stunned.

Ryan was a decent short stop. The ball only got past him once, but that was more because it sailed three feet over his head than anything else. He didn't get to bat during the first inning, but in the second, he hit a double, smacking the ball to center field. Once he made it across the plate and we'd cheered along with the rest of the fans, I excused myself and went to the concession stand for a drink.

Just as I rounded the corner with soda in hand, sharp nails dug into my upper arm and pulled me back alongside the building. Lauren Mallory faced me, Red Devils' Mom shirt on her chest and a scowl on her face. "I don't know what you did to my mother, but ever since your little visit last weekend, she's been terrified of her own shadow. She won't even keep Caleb for more than an hour at a time, because she's afraid she's going to get arrested. So, whatever your little deal is, just stop."

I stared at Lauren in shock. It didn't seem like her mother had told her the details of what transpired ten years ago. I wasn't, however, going to stand here and take her ire. "What would you do, Lauren, if someone came to you and told you Caleb was dead?"

Lauren blanched.

"Because see, that's what happened to me. But instead of actually giving birth to a stillborn baby like I was told, someone stole my son and sold him," I spat, taking care to keep my voice low. "Your mother delivered him to his new parents. If she's jumpy, maybe she ought to be. Maybe she didn't really believe Edward and I would give our child away without a word, but she did what she was told to do."

"My mother wouldn't do that," Lauren said weakly, but I wasn't sure she even believed what she was saying.

"But she did, Lauren, and she admitted it," I told her, keeping my voice as gentle as I could. "I have no problem with you, and I don't want one. You're a mother, too, so I'm sure you can understand. My son, the one I thought was dead, is out on that field playing baseball, and I want to watch him."

Lauren's expression shifted from horrified to understanding. "If she really did that, I'm sorry. I cannot imagine how that would feel. She is my mother, though, and the only help I get with Caleb. I need her."

"I know. If it helps, I don't think she knew what was going on. She might have found it fishy, but she had no idea that what she was doing was wrong. I'm trying to keep her out of it," I promised.

"Thank you." Lauren gave me a smile, and we both turned back to the field as a cheer rose from the stands.

Neither of us wasted any time in returning to our seats. Neil, one of Ryan's teammates, had hit a triple with the bases loaded.

Edward and Dad gave me curious looks when I retook my seat. "Everything okay? You were gone awhile," Edward asked, concerned.

"Yeah," I assured him. "Everything's fine. I just ran into Lauren. Apparently, Susan Mallory is afraid she's going to be arrested any day now, and Lauren wanted to know what we did to her."

"Huh. What did you tell her?" he asked.

"The truth," I said simply. "She's a parent. She understood."

Edward nodded and returned his attention to the game.

At his next at bat, Ryan hit a grounder toward third base and barely made it to first. Two plays later, and the third out ended the inning before he could make it home. The Red Devils were good, better than the Tarheels from Port Angeles, and ended the game with a final score of eleven to eight. I didn't think it was possible to be so proud of some kids playing a game, but I was practically bursting with pride.

We filed down the bleachers with everyone else and watched as they all congratulated their players. More than anything, I wished I could go give Ryan a hug and tell him how well he did. His adoptive parents were filling that role, though, and all I could do was watch. Dr. Cullen saw us over Ryan's head, and his face hardened. He said something to Esme, and she cast a look in our direction, before bustling Ryan off toward the car.

"I thought we agreed that you would stay away from my son until this was settled," Dr. Cullen said angrily. He practically towered over me.

Edward maneuvered me behind him and faced Dr. Cullen head on. "We agreed not to contact him, and we haven't. Yet. But there isn't any reason why we can't come see _our_ son play ball."

"Look, the last thing he needs is some deadbeat parents that gave their kid up and now want to come play house with him," Dr. Cullen snapped.

Esme had walked up behind Carlisle just in time to hear his comment, and she gasped. Edward was vibrating, trying to control every impulse he had to keep from knocking Dr. Cullen flat. Getting arrested for assault wasn't on the agenda for this weekend.

He didn't seem to notice, though, and kept going. "He needs positive influences in his life, not a mother that got knocked up at seventeen and the father that abandoned her."

Edward's fist hit Dr. Cullen on the jaw and knocked him backward.

Dr. Cullen stumbled and sneered at him. "As I said, positive role models. Not some jerk that starts a fight at a kid's baseball game." He turned to Charlie. "I want to press charges."

"You most certainly will not," Esme snarled. "I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing, but until you get your head back on straight and act like the man I married, you aren't coming home with me. _Major_ Masen, _Dr._ Swan, I apologize for my husband's . . . attitude. The letter we received regarding the DNA tests and custody hearings this week must have fried his brain. I've already taken Ryan in, and I'll be in touch once the results are in."

She started to walk off, but Dr. Cullen grabbed her arm. "Esme, give me the keys. You're obviously in no shape to drive."

She scoffed. "Like hell. You aren't getting in the car with my son like that. You can apologize to these people and walk home. If you hadn't caused a scene, I wouldn't have to explain to Ryan just what the hell is wrong with you." She yanked her arm out his grasp and stormed off to the black Mercedes in the parking lot.

**Now, what do you all think about Mrs. Esme? She's a firecracker, isn't she? Leave me a note. **

**As you know, I am writing an outtake from Stolen Dreams for FGB. Here's your task. Tell me what you want. Something from the future, something from the past, something from Edward's POV? Please PM me or let me know in your review. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this. Now that that's out of the way . . .**

**A/N: There were a few of you reserving judgment on Carlisle's actions, but most of you still suspect him of foul play and think he's not worthy to be a father. Hmm . . . Well, you'll have to read on to find out. Thank you to Jenny Cullen for betaing this mess and thank you to all of you that are reading and reviewing. It makes my day every time I get one and I do read and cherish each of them. **

**Chapter 10**

The slamming of the car door could be heard all the way across the field. It seemed to jolt Dr. Cullen back into reality. His eyes flicked from my tear-stained face to Edward's protective, angry stance in front of me. "What . . . oh God . . ." He ran his hands down his face and looked up at us from behind them. "I'm sorry."

Without another word, he strode off in the opposite direction from where his family had just pulled out. As soon as he was out of sight, his hateful words registered anew in my ears and the dam holding my emotions back burst. The sob tore out of my chest before I could pull it back.

Edward's arms were around me in an instant. He whispered what I was sure were sweet words into my ear, but all I could hear was Dr. Cullen snarling at me that I was a teenage screw-up that didn't deserve my child. For so many years, I'd worked to eradicate thoughts like that from my mind and to make something positive out my personal tragedy, and he'd just thrown it all back in my face.

"Shh," I finally heard Edward whisper. "Don't listen to him, Bella. We know the truth, and that wasn't it. Let's get you home, and then we can decide how to castrate that motherfucker."

His words were so at odds with his soothing tone that I choked on my laughter. I looked up into his eyes, where his own pain was swirling, but I could see how much he was hurting for me.

My father still hadn't said anything, so I chanced a glance at him. He was staring off with a murderous expression into the woods in the direction that Dr. Cullen had gone.

"Dad?" I called.

His head whipped around, and he gave me a sheepish grin. "I don't suppose that it would be good for me to kill that man and bury his body in the woods, would it?"

I laughed again through my tears and shook my head at the ridiculousness the two of them were exhibiting, but it did alleviate some of the tension. Edward led me over to his car and tucked me into the passenger's seat. After the door was firmly closed so I couldn't hear them, Dad and Edward exchanged words, and with a nod, Charlie got into his car and headed toward town.

"Where is he going?" I asked as Edward drove toward my dad's house.

"He's just going to pick up a few things from the station, and then he'll be home," he reassured me. Edward's hand covered mine as it rested in my lap.

Neither of us spoke again until we were seated on my father's couch with the game muted in the background. It seemed to be some unwritten rule that if there was a man in this house, some sports show had to be playing on the television. I let it distract me for a few minutes, but as I had no clue what they were talking about and I couldn't hear them, it didn't work for long.

"You don't think that's what he's told Ryan about us, do you?" I whispered, the tears pouring down again.

"Oh, baby, no." Edward pulled me onto his lap and curled his arms around me. "I don't think he's told Ryan anything."

"Then why were you so upset?" I asked in a small voice.

Edward sighed, and I felt it through his chest. "Because what he said upset you. It's not true, Bella. And it makes me want to get Ryan away from him even more; if those are things he's filling my son's head with, all that hate, then I won't stand to have him surrounded by that."

"But what if it doesn't matter, Edward? What if they never even let us meet him?" I cried.

"We won't let that happen, Bella. I promise," Edward vowed.

He held me like that while I cried for the better part of an hour. We only moved when Charlie came home with pizza and some files. Charlie laid those on the coffee table and took the food into the kitchen.

"I made copies of all the statements and the officer's notes," he announced once he'd taken his usual seat in his recliner. He'd put several slices on plates and handed two to us before settling in with his own. "Even called the adoption agency and got their records. They did background and reference checks on both Carlisle and Esme at the time of the adoption, and both checked out. Their friends and family painted them as the ideal couple, ideal parents."

Edward snorted. "It's always the quiet ones."

I giggled at the reference, but it was clear that Dad didn't get it. He cleared his throat before he continued. "His colleagues here and at Cedars-Sinai all had glowing remarks for the man. I can't match that up with what I saw today." Dad ran his fingers over his mustache.

"Would you have arrested me in the park today?" Edward asked curiously.

Charlie scoffed. "Not a chance. As far as I was concerned, it was completely provoked. In fact, I already made notes about it in the file." He paused, as if he was hesitating about something, but when he spoke again, I was sure it wasn't what he was debating in his head. "When are you heading back to Seattle?"

Edward looked at me and checked his watch. "I was planning on leaving here soon. I don't want to make the drive at night, if we can help it."

"You're welcome to stay here for the night, if you want," Charlie offered. "I know you both have lives back in Seattle, though. If you're going to head out, best do it within the next hour. There's a storm coming in."

I nodded absently and stood. There was a huge part of me that wanted to stay here, but I knew it would be better for both Edward and me to go home to our more familiar surroundings. Being only a few miles away from Ryan and knowing that I couldn't see him was slowly killing me. My bag was just where I'd left it in my room, so I hastily shoved my pajamas and the rest of the clothes from the night before into it, before grabbing my toiletries and doing the same with them. My shampoo could have spilled all over my clothes and I wouldn't have cared. My mind was telling me to flee once again—to get out of this town and away from its hateful people.

Edward already had his duffel packed and sitting next to the door when I tromped back downstairs. I set my bag next to his and crossed the room to give Dad a hug before we left.

"Thank you, Daddy," I whispered. He'd held me together for so long, and he was still doing everything in his power to keep me upright.

"Anything for you, kid. Listen, I'm supposed to meet with Agent Majors Wednesday afternoon. I thought we might grab some dinner or something before I came back," he suggested.

"That sounds great," I told him with a smile. "Just call me and let me know when you're done, and I'll meet you somewhere." I stepped back to Edward's side.

Dad held out his hand for Edward's, but both men froze when there was a knock at the door.

Dad's brow furrowed as he pushed past Edward. He opened the door without looking to see who was on the other side, but his body tensed immediately. "What do you want?" he growled.

I couldn't hear the words the visitor spoke, as his voice was too low, but I could see that Charlie looked disinclined to let whoever it was in the house. After another few moments of rambling by the person on the stoop, Charlie reluctantly stepped to the side and admitted a very worn and dirty Carlisle Cullen.

Edward immediately turned his body to shield me from the older man. "Haven't you said enough today?" he snarled.

Dr. Cullen shook his head. "No, not yet. I haven't apologized. And I owe you both an apology."

I sank into the couch cushions behind me, unsure if I could hear this man out. Edward sat next to me, clearly wary of the man across from him. That was the most acknowledgement he would get out of either of us. It also didn't escape my notice that my dad stood next to the door—where he hung his gun belt every night—with his arms crossed.

"I'm sorry," Dr. Cullen began. "There are no adequate excuses for my behavior earlier. I said things in anger that I knew to be untrue and hurtful. I sincerely regret that. Please accept my apologies for the ramblings of a desperate man."

His shoulders hunched, and he sank onto the edge of Charlie's recliner. "Major Masen, just like you would do anything to protect Dr. Swan, so too would I do anything in my power to protect Esme. I couldn't stop the miscarriages all those years ago, but in adopting Ryan, I found a way to make my wife happy again. We love that boy as if he were our own. He _is_our own. Never in a million years did I dream that the day would come that Ryan's parents would come looking for him. They told us that you were too young to care for a child and didn't want the responsibility. Maybe had we not taken them at their word, we wouldn't be here now. But I can't regret the last ten years I've had with my son."

He swallowed heavily before continuing. "We got the letter Tuesday evening, informing us that you were seeking DNA confirmation of Ryan's parentage, and we knew. That was the first step to taking our little boy away from us. Every night, I've had to listen to my beloved wife cry, and every tear breaks my heart. It's no excuse, but perhaps you can understand then why I lashed out as I did this afternoon. There are not enough words to express how sorry I am for what I said to you, Dr. Swan, or to you, Major Masen."

I wasn't entirely sure how I was supposed to feel; it was evident that Edward wasn't, either.

When neither of us spoke up right away, Dr. Cullen ran his hands down his legs in a nervous gesture and stood. "Well, that was . . . what I needed to say. I'll just leave you . . ."

"Dr. Cullen," Edward said, lifting his eyes from the spot they'd been burning a hole in on the floor. "We don't intend to remove Ryan from your lives entirely, but he is _our_ son. We never intended to let him go or be raised by someone else. We want to be a part of his life, to be his parents. I'm not going to apologize for that. However, it would be nice if we could work together to make this as easy on Ryan, and each other, as we can."

There was fear in Dr. Cullen's eyes, but he looked resigned. Dumbly, he nodded and walked toward the front door. "Chief," he said, acknowledging my father.

Dad let him out and shut the door behind him.

"I need a drink," Charlie muttered.

Edward blew out a breath. "Me, too, but mine's got to wait about four hours."

"At least he won't be surprised later," Charlie said. He looked over at the couch, where I was still perched. "You okay, Bells?"

"Yeah, just . . . overwhelmed, I think. There's been so much. At least he knows how to obey his wife," I chuckled weakly. It hadn't escaped my notice that I hadn't heard a car start up outside—he was still on foot.

Both men laughed, breaking the creeping tension in the room. I rose off the couch, now even more weary than I had been when we first got back from the ball field, and joined Edward by the door. In one hand, he grabbed both bags and held the door for me with the other.

"Let me know what you find out on Wednesday, Charlie," Edward requested as he deposited our stuff in the trunk.

"You aren't coming to dinner?" Dad asked, surprised.

A look of chagrin graced Edward's features. "I-I didn't want to presume. I thought that was just for you and Bella."

"Yeah, well, it seems you come as a package," Dad groused, but I could tell he didn't really mind. He'd always liked Edward, even on the day he wanted to kill him for impregnating his little girl.

Edward smiled. "Then we'll see you Wednesday."

I gave my dad another hug and flopped into the car, ready to get on the road so we could get home and unwind. There'd been enough stress for today, and I didn't want to cross the lines that Aron had given us—specifically driving to the Cullens' house and demanding to see Ryan. That might traumatize the poor kid even more than seeing Edward punch his dad.

For the first two hours of the drive, neither of us spoke much. We listened to music, occasionally commenting on it, and let the silence be a balm for our souls. Just like all the time we spent together, it was easy, comfortable, effortless.

So, it came as something of a shock when Edward turned down the radio and glanced over at me. "What's next?" he asked. His tone was serious.

"Next with . . . what?" I asked in return. There were a lot of ways that I could have taken his question, and I didn't want to answer the wrong one.

"With us, Bella. I don't . . . I don't want to rush things with you just because we might have a child in our lives that needs both of his parents, and I don't want you to feel like I'm saying and doing things because of him. It's just . . . I'd like to know where you see us going and when."

I blinked—repeatedly. "Oh."

"I'm not asking you to marry me right now," he hurriedly added, and then started rambling, "because when I do that, I plan to be much more romantic and smooth about it, but I just wanted to know what you thought, what you want. Do you want to go ahead and move in together? Wait 'til we get married for that? Stay like we are? I know we haven't been seeing each other that long, but I know I want you, and I don't want to wait just because it seems like that's what we should do if neither of us want to."

I couldn't help it; I giggled. He was so cute when he was nervous. "I don't think there's any right or wrong here," I told him once I'd recovered from my mirth. "Each relationship is different, and ours is especially so. We have a lot of history that other couples don't have. I'm not ready to get married tomorrow, but I'm not opposed to more of a commitment. I love you, and I don't think I'll ever stop."

"I love you, too." Edward's grin was wide. "I was thinking that maybe we could start looking at condos. Or houses, if you want. My apartment isn't big enough and is too . . . minimalistic. Yours . . . well, yours has Alice in it. Maybe we could find a place just for the two of us."

"I'd like that." My shy smile hid the excitement brewing in the pit of my stomach. This felt right to me. I grasped Edward's free hand, and he gave me a boyish grin. It was like we were seventeen and planning our future all over again.

The storm broke over us about an hour from home. Even though it was still quite early, the dark thunderheads obscured the sun, and the torrential rain made driving a challenge. Once we made it to my apartment, Edward ran upstairs with me, refusing to drive any farther until the still raging storm broke.

Instead of popping in a movie like we usually did on Saturday nights, Edward got out his computer and hacked into the MLS listings. He also brought up a spreadsheet so we could rank the features that were the most important to us.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked as she spied the website over Edward's shoulder.

"Um, looking at properties?" I said, making it a question. I'd never leave her in a lurch, but I was too excited to have thought about how it would look to her.

She raised her eyebrow at me. "Didn't I tell you that I had some very specific ideas about your house? Scoot over." She wedged herself next to Edward and started adding things I'd never even thought about to our list. When she was done, it was over a page long.

"Now," she declared, "we'll give this list to my friend who's a real estate agent and make her do all the work. You can look for fun, but going out to Kell's sounds like a lot better to me."

"Kell's?" I asked skeptically. Irish pubs weren't usually Alice's scene.

"Hmm, yeah. Some guy came into the shop yesterday and dropped off flyers. His band is playing there tonight," she said.

Edward stifled a snicker and shut down his laptop. "All right, then. I'll go change, call Jasper, and meet you there at . . . eight?"

"Seven-thirty," Alice blurted out, and then blushed. "I want a good seat."

I laughed at her and kissed Edward goodbye. It had been a long time since Alice had been seriously interested in a guy, and it looked like this one had caught her attention. I didn't even complain when she showed me the outfits she'd brought home for the occasion.

That was how I found myself, trussed up in a silvery tank top, tight black slacks, and kitten heels, standing outside on Kell's Irish Pub two hours later. Alice had worn a dark green halter with a short skirt that made her legs look a mile long. If this guy didn't notice her, he'd have to be blind.

Edward and Jasper had arrived a little early and had secured us a table near the stage. Jasper took one look at Alice and adopted the sexiest smirk I'd ever seen, outside of Edward.

"Good evening, ma'am," he said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Captain Jasper Whitlock at your service."

"Nice to meet you," Alice said absently, barely sparing him a glance. She was scanning the crowded pub for a glimpse of the guitarist she'd come to see.

It was obvious that Jasper was used to his sweet Texas drawl reeling in the women, because he looked confounded for a moment as he looked at her. He shrugged and sat back down, tilting his beer into his mouth as he went.

Edward gave me a look that clearly said, "what's her issue?"

I just shrugged and sat down next to him, facing the stage in front of us.

Alice and I had arrived just in time. Within minutes, the lights around the stage dimmed, and the band sauntered on to it with their instruments slung over their shoulders. Alice's eyes lit up, and she pointed to the lead singer slash guitarist. He was an okay guy, maybe five foot nine, and skinny with unkempt brown hair and a heavy five o'clock shadow. He was also wearing skinny jeans, which was a definite no-no in my book.

He sang like a dream, though. His rich, Irish accent tugged at the heartstrings as he crooned love ballads and rock songs alike. Jasper got up to get more to drink and asked each of us if we wanted anything. Alice ignored him—she only had eyes for the man on the stage.

Jasper rolled his eyes and stalked off.

Edward sniggered. "He's so used to getting all the girls. I don't know what he'll do if he has to work for one."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw a lovely Hispanic woman sidling up to him. "Give up?" I guessed, gesturing in his direction.

Edward shook his head. "Not his type. Just wait."

Wait we did. It took a few minutes, but Jasper came back to the table with drinks for all of us, including Alice. He'd taken notice of her Appletini and replaced it with a fresh one. Alice murmured her thanks and went back to basically eye-fucking the guy on stage.

By the time their set was over, my ears were ringing and Jasper was frustrated. I had to give my friend some credit, though. She didn't want to be a fling for someone that she'd have to be around later, and Jasper wasn't looking for anything more serious. Edward had made that clear on the several occasions I'd tried to set them up.

"I'm going to head backstage," Alice practically yelled into my ear. "I'll text you."

I tried my best to look supportive, but the last thing I wanted to do was hang around while Alice tried to get laid. She waved jauntily and scampered off through the crowd.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I know she's your friend and all, but she's a bitch," Jasper declared.

"Just because she's not looking for a one night hook up doesn't make her a bitch. Maybe she's just not interested," I reasoned.

"Not looking for a one night hook up? What does she think she's going to get from that . . . bloke . . . up there? She's a fashion designer, for God's sakes, and he looks like a drug addicted hobo," he snapped.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure she saw what a fine piece of man meat you are. There're plenty of other girls here who noticed, too," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but I don't want _them_," he grumbled under his breath just loud enough for me to hear.

I giggled again, but didn't comment.

Fifteen minutes later, Alice told me to go on home, that she was good and she'd check in when she knew where they were going. I didn't like it, but Alice was a big girl, and I didn't want to hang around and watch her get laid. Since I was the only one that hadn't been drinking, I took Edward's keys and drove us all back to my apartment. There sure wasn't going to be room for extra people at Edward's.

Jasper crashed pretty quickly on the couch, and Edward passed out in my bed before I even got out of the bathroom. My mind was slowly calming down, so I grabbed a book and decided to read for a few minutes. Two o'clock came along with a text from Alice telling me that they were heading to a hotel on the south side of town and that she'd see me in the morning. That was all it took for my mind to settle, and a few minutes later, I drifted off to sleep.

Around three-thirty, according to my alarm clock, I heard the door to the apartment open, and then quiet curses and bangs as someone moved around in my living room. It didn't sound like Jasper, and I was instantly alert. My suspicions were confirmed a few minutes later when I heard Jasper yelling, and then his expletives cut off abruptly.

**Tell me what you think. Please? Thank you for reading and I'll see you next week. Don't forget to donate to Alex's Lemonade Stand. There will be an outtake from Stolen Dreams in the compilation. **

**Here's a rec for this week: Go read Written in the Stars by Lissa Bryan. It's Twilight/SciFi but it's so good. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. You shouldn't be surprised since this is fanfiction. I own this. Please don't translate or use without my permission. **

**A/N: Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed this week. I love reading all of your thoughts. Thank you to Jenny Cullen for betaing. She's the bizama. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And, uh, no offense is meant . . . even if I don't understand the inner workings of some people's minds. **

**Chapter 11**

"Edward, wake up," I whispered harshly, pushing on his shoulder. "There's someone in the house."

"What?" Edward asked sleepily.

"There's someone in the living room," I hissed, trying to convey a sense of urgency.

He snorted. "Yeah, Bella, Jasper's in the living room."

"No, it's someone else," I said frantically. "I heard the door open, lots of banging, and then I heard Jasper yell. He stopped . . ."

Edward sat upright, now fully awake. His eyes darted around my room and found the baseball bat Charlie had left with me when I moved into my first dorm room. At the time, I thought it was silly, but now, I was thankful for its presence. Edward gripped the handle and carefully opened the door, tiptoeing down the hallway with the bat ready to swing. I followed behind him, unwilling to be left alone and unprotected in my room. For all I knew, Jasper could already be lying in a pool of his own blood and the intruder could have crept by my door.

With one swift movement, Edward flicked on the lights and positioned himself over the outline of the large head we could see on the couch. A sharp female scream broke the stillness of the room. Jasper flung himself in front of the girl and raised his arm to fend off Edward's bat.

"What the fuck, dude?" he yelled.

"What the fuck, me?" Edward yelled back. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Bella woke me up, telling me that someone was in the house killing you! Here you are, letting some girl into Bella's apartment to mack on in the middle of the night."

"Hey, I live here, too," a familiar voice from behind Jasper said indignantly.

"Alice?" I said, bewildered. "Aren't you supposed to be downtown?"

She had the good sense to look a little sheepish when she poked her head around Jasper's torso. Edward let the bat fall and sighed.

"When I got there, he had a full blown party in his room. I had a little bit more to drink, but when they brought out the hard stuff, like cocaine, I got really nervous and started to leave. Sean took me into the other room, which was quieter, but there were three other girls in there already getting . . . well, it looked like it was going to be quite the party for Sean. I told him I wasn't into that and left. I'm sorry I didn't call, but I figured you were already asleep and that I could just slip in. I ran into the table by the door, though." Alice gave me a tentative smile.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask how she'd gone from the orgy with the band, to sneaking into our house, to making out with Jasper on the couch when she'd ignored him all night. Instead of embarrassing them both further, though, I settled for wishing them a good night.

Edward turned off the light as we left the room and groaned when he lay back down in bed. "Death by Alice," he muttered. Within seconds, he was snoring. I wasn't far behind.

The next morning, Edward let me sleep and just kissed me goodbye when he went to take Jasper home. Three hours later, I finally crawled out of bed and cornered a very hung-over Alice in the kitchen.

"Do you mind telling me what that was all about last night?" I said through a yawn.

"Ugh." Alice dropped her forehead to the table. "I feel like such an idiot. I went with that singer last night, convinced that he thought I was special, only to find that drugs and orgies were more his style. Meanwhile, a great guy tried all night to impress me, and I just shoved him to the side. When I got back here, I actually fell on top of Jasper; I was too drunk to make it back to my room."

"Did you . . . uh . . ." I asked, sort of.

She lifted her head and looked at me with a curious smile. "No. I mean, we kissed for awhile, but he told me he didn't want to take advantage and just held me the rest of the night. When he left, he said he'd call me later today."

"I'm glad. Jasper is a good guy, if not a bit of a ladies' man," I added for good measure.

"I'll be careful," she promised.

The cereal I'd poured while we talked had gotten soggy, so I poured it into the sink and fried myself an egg.

Alice sniffed the grease on my plate, and her stomach rumbled. "If I buy, will you come to Willie's with me?"

Willie's was the diner down the street that served the best, greasiest breakfast in Washington. Actually, I wasn't sure what the name of the place was, but Willie was always there, serving the truckers and students that frequented the place. Memories of their crisp bacon, fluffy pancakes, and perfectly scrambled eggs flooded my brain, and my fork clattered to my plate. Bits of yolk splashed onto the table.

"How fast can you get dressed?" I asked her, eyeing her clothes from the night before.

She glanced down at herself and grimaced. "Give me ten minutes."

In the end, Alice was waiting for me when I came out of my room. She must have been feeling really off, because she was wearing some old yoga pants and a tank top. I was practically dressy in my jeans and t-shirt in comparison. At least she'd washed her face and didn't have raccoon eyes any more.

Over breakfast at Willie's, Alice started her confession. "I just didn't know what to think. I thought Sean liked me when he came into the shop, and I thought he was really cute. I didn't think it was going anywhere, but I wanted a night of fun. And then, I saw Jasper." Her eyes took on a dreamy quality, and she actually sighed. "He could cause problems, though, so I was determined to stay away from him."

I snorted. "What kind of problems would Jasper cause?"

"He's a player, Bella, and you know it. I'd fall for him so easily, and he'd break my heart. Then, you and Edward would be stuck between your two best friends that couldn't stand to be around each other," she reasoned, as if this was the future and she'd already seen it unfold.

"And kissing him on the couch isn't going to make that happen?" I asked with a tinge of disbelief in my tone.

She chewed on a bite of pancakes while she thought how best to word her answer. "He's not who I thought he was. I made a judgment without knowing him or knowing all the facts. Yeah, we were kissing when you caught us, but we talked, too—really talked. He enlisted right out of high school and has worked his way up through the ranks. He doesn't really see his family in Texas. His parents divorced when he was little because his dad traveled all the time, and his mom never got over it, even though she's the one that wanted out. His dad never settled down and barely saw him or his younger sister. That's why he's never wanted a relationship. He didn't want it to end up like his parents."

"But now?" I asked.

"Now, he's settling down here in Seattle, and he likes it here. Maybe there's a chance." Alice shrugged. "We'll see."

Mentally, I planned a dinner for the four of us in the coming week, and I made a note to ask Edward if they would be able to spare the time. Both he and Jasper would be gone with the Reserves over the weekend, so that meant a lot of long hours beforehand.

It was after two when we finally trudged back home. We were both exhausted from the late night and flopped on the couch. For dinner, we ordered a pizza, because we were too lazy to get up and cook. That and the _Lifetime_ movie we were watching were too good to miss. All in all, it was a wonderful, lazy Sunday. For the first time in weeks, I didn't worry about a custody case, work, or my relationship with Edward. I was content to let it all ride for the day.

On Monday morning, I dropped a line to Aron Michaels, informing him that we had gone to Forks for the testing and about the incident on Saturday. In case more came of it, I wanted him to be apprised. Edward sent me a cryptic message mid-morning that I didn't have a chance to reply to until my patient left at a little before noon. No sooner had I hit send, then there was a knock on my door.

"Am I interrupting?" Edward asked as he poked his head in the door. "Chelsea said you were free until this afternoon."

I grinned. "No, I'm good. What was that message about anyway?"

"I was trying to see if you'd have lunch with me, but I kept getting distracted. So, what do you say? You have an hour or so, and I need some advice . . . and food," he added with a smile.

"I'm all yours," I promised. I grabbed my purse from my locked desk drawer, and we headed out.

He drove us to a nearby Applebee's, and we got seated fairly quickly, though it was the peak of lunch hour. We both ordered before he brought up the reason he wanted my opinion.

"Colonel McIntosh called yesterday," he began, and my heart froze. That had been his commanding officer while he was on active duty.

"It's nothing bad," he assured me when he saw my expression. "He has a Corporal in his battalion that didn't sign his renewal and is out as of last Friday. His family lives here in Seattle, so McIntosh thinks that he's headed in this direction. He's apparently a computer whiz kid, and the Colonel thought he would be a good fit with us. He also dumped two more assignments in our lap if we want them."

"Wow. Those both sound like good things. What do you think about it?" I asked.

Edward sighed. "I think that we can't take the two assignments if we don't pick Ben up. Neither Jasper nor I want to bring him on as another partner, but hiring an employee can make a difference in the business. I wanted your opinion, to discuss it with you, since it could affect my, and consequently, our finances."

A thrill shot through me at his words, and a smile stretched across my face involuntarily. It was the first time since we were seventeen, other than when we hastily decided to live together the other night, that we had initiated a discussion about our future as a couple. "Do you have enough work to keep him busy?"

"With this new stuff and our private contracts, yeah, we do. They have us tracking several al-Qaeda members, and they aren't exactly easy to find. He can also take the weekends that Jasper and I have to be gone," Edward said.

I sat in thought for a minute. "Edward, can you afford him?"

"Yes, for now," he answered.

"Then I think you need to hire him. There might come a time soon when we need to be able to travel to Forks more often or be able to be home in the evenings with our son." Hope for that future was practically strangling my heart, but I was doing my best not to let it take over.

Edward smiled sweetly, leaning over to kiss me. "Thank you," he whispered.

The server interrupted our moment by bringing our food to us. We'd spent so long talking and waiting for our food that we only had a few minutes left to eat before I had to be back at the office. I did tell him about my call to Aron that morning; he agreed that it was for the best.

Just before one, Edward dropped me off with a lingering kiss and promised to come by my apartment tonight. I rode the high of his affection through the rest of the day.

I made chicken parmesan that night for dinner. Both Alice and Edward were running late, but I kept it warm in the oven. 

Alice was singing happily to herself when she walked in the door and flashed me a huge smile. "Angel's gone," she crowed. "I hired two of the design students in her place for less than she cost me, because they're getting internship credit, too!"

"Alice, that's wonderful!" I gave her a big hug.

She spied my glass of wine over my shoulder. "Hey, I'm going to go change. Pour me some?"

"Sure thing." No sooner than I had tipped the bottle of wine, the door opened again and Edward stepped through.

"Make me one, too, please," he called from near the front door.

"Long day?" I asked.

He sauntered into the kitchen, took a drink of my wine, and kissed me on the lips. "Hmm," he hummed in contentment. "Yes, long day."

"How did it go with Jasper and the corporal?" I asked as I pulled dinner from the oven and plated our meal.

Edward sank into the chair he usually sat in and leaned back. "We spent the entire day reviewing the financials and bickering about what we can afford to pay this kid. McIntosh found him on his way off base. The kid had interviewed with Google, but with the economy the way it is, they didn't have any openings for him. He was willing to accept a lower salary because of our affiliations with the government. Apparently, Corporal Ben Cheney suffered through two tours in Iraq and didn't want to kill anymore. But he has the heart of a soldier, so he wants to help track terrorists in another way." He finally smiled.

"That's great news!" I cheered.

"What's great news?" Alice asked, walking into the kitchen.

"We hired a guy to help us out today," Edward told her. "Now, it'll be easier for Jasper to find time to take you out."

Alice blushed. "Did he say something?"

Edward smirked. "I barely got a word in edgewise between talking about you and Ben Cheney. I'd expect a call tonight."

Alice practically inhaled her food. She kept watching her phone for any sign that it might ring. I hadn't seen her so excited about a guy in so long that I didn't want to laugh and rain on her parade.

After dinner, Edward helped me wash the dishes. As I dried and put away the last pan, Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed up and down the length of my neck. The pan slid out of my hands and onto the counter as I leaned my head back onto his shoulder.

"God, I love you," Edward murmured against my skin. His hands wandered up my torso, skimming underneath my shirt. My hands clutched his thighs and rocked my hips into his. He was already hard and ready.

"Alice is home. Let's go back to my room," I whispered. It was as loud as my voice could go without moaning.

"Brilliant idea. I've been waiting to have you underneath me all day." His voice was thick with desire and heavy with want.

This time, I couldn't contain the moan.

We barely got the door on my room closed before his shirt hit the floor. Mine followed soon after, and Edward held my breasts in his large hands. While he caressed me, I reached for his waist and popped the button on his jeans. With a swift tug, the line of buttons on his fly pulled free. I slipped my hands into his boxers and grasped his cock with my hand. He groaned and thrust into me, lightly pushing me backward onto the bed.

I bounced slightly, but Edward quickly covered my body with his. Hot and passionate, his mouth met mine. Before long, I was dizzy with need and yanked on his boxers. My own pants were quickly discarded. The feeling of skin on skin was divine and only spurred us on.

"This isn't going to be slow," Edward ground out, hooking my leg over his hip.

"Please," I begged.

In one swift movement, he thrust into me, filling me completely. I groaned loudly as he hit the right spots deep inside me. He kept up the relentless pace, taking my breath away and taking me even higher toward the precipice. Minutes later, I moaned deeply through my release. Edward flipped us over, settling me over him.

"You feel so good," I panted as I rocked back and forth.

Edward guided me down to him and captured my nipple with his lips. The tingling in my abdomen started all over again, and it wasn't long before he was tweaking my nipples as I came. Seconds later, he followed behind.

I rolled off Edward, grumbling as he slipped out of me. My feet hit the floor, and I went straight to the bathroom to clean up. Once Edward had done the same, we both got into pajamas. It was still early, but we cuddled together under the covers and drifted off to sleep.

Edward was gone the next morning when I woke. He'd left me a little note, telling me how much he loved me and that he would see me later that night. The work day dragged by, with me checking my phone every fifteen minutes. It was almost five o'clock when the call from Charlie came through. He wanted to meet us at Morton's Steakhouse to discuss his meeting with Agent Majors, but when I called Edward, he didn't answer.

Charlie met me at the hostess stand and escorted me to the table. He looked serious, but somewhat relieved.

"What happened today?" I asked.

Charlie sighed. "The Feds are going to work with me on this. They don't have the manpower to investigate, but they'll do the prosecution. With everything I have, they agree that there's a case, as long as the DNA comes back positive."

"Will they prosecute Susan Mallory, too?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know, Bella. She's the one that crossed the state lines with the child. Bob Gerandy just brokered the deal."

My heart ached for Lauren, Susan, and Caleb. I wanted to keep her out of it, because I knew that it would be very difficult for all of them if Susan were to go to prison. "Let's just do what we can, okay?" I requested.

"I ran into Dr. Cullen yesterday," he told me. "He apologized again. I think he's a good man in a rough situation, Bella. I'm a father, and I'd do anything I could to keep you safe, too."

I snorted. "Do I look that dangerous, Dad?"

He gave me a sad smile. "Not in the conventional sense, but you are trying to take his son away and tear his family apart. There's no worse feeling in the world than that."

For the first time, I understood how my own father had felt when I was only three years old and my mother took me away with her. I spent the rest of the meal recounting all the good times we'd had together and making sure he knew what a good father he was. He left to go home as soon as we were finished, hugging me a little longer than normal. I promised that I'd be down to see him soon.

Edward finally called after eleven. He apologized profusely for missing dinner and listened intently when I described Charlie's meeting with Agent Majors. Our conversation was cut off, though, by a pinging on his end of the line, followed by muffled curses.

"Fucking hell, stupid suicide bombers," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, baby. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," I agreed.

As it turned out, Monday night was the last time I saw Edward until Friday afternoon. Ben arrived in Seattle on Tuesday and reported to work on Wednesday. Edward and Jasper spent the next three days familiarizing Ben with their systems. An hour before he was set to leave, Edward knocked on my office door.

"Hey, love," he said. "I'm sorry I've been so absent this week. I'll be back Sunday afternoon, and you can have me the rest of the day, okay?" He cradled my face in his hands and kissed me gently.

"Be careful. I'll miss you," I told him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. If you hear anything, call me. I'll check my messages when I can," he requested.

I nodded and kissed him goodbye one last time. I didn't even want to imagine having to see him off for a tour of duty of overseas. Though I preferred not to think about Tanya and her time with Edward, I could understand why she became clingy when he got back. Watching him walk away was torture.

Jasper had gone by Alice's shop, as well, and she was very subdued when we both arrived home. We dug the ice cream out of the freezer and put in some good old-fashioned chick flicks. By the time Edward and Jasper texted to say they had arrived, we were both a mess of tears.

**Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you. The FGB Compilation will be available starting on November 19, 2011 and over 80 authors have contributed. It's a great cause—no one likes childhood cancer. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable things are owned by their respective owners. Yada, yada, yada. **

**A/N: Thank you to everything that read this week! I loved reading the thoughts of all that reviewed as well. I know that the last chapter wasn't action packed, but getting their relationship is important too. Ryan wasn't the only dream they lost. There have been some questions on the statue of limitations for kidnapping—the clock starts running when the child is kidnapped, not when it is discovered. I think this is because in most cases, those two things happen pretty close together. Also, it has not yet been proven that Ryan was truly Edward and Bella's son and that a kidnapping occurred. The courts do not move as fast as we would like them to. Family court isn't much better than criminal court. I know it feels like it is moving slowly—trust me, whatever frustration you feel, Edward and Bella feel it too. **

**Chapter 12**

The weekend dragged on. My life had never depended on a man, and it still didn't. Life was just a little sweeter when he was around. I'd finally found true happiness, and being without the source of it was depressing.

Charlie checked in briefly on Saturday afternoon to let me know they'd officially brought Bob Gerandy into custody on kidnapping and human trafficking charges. He was being held in Forks' jail until the Feds could move him to their own facility. The Justice Department had authorized a warrant to comb through all the obstetrics records at Forks General to make sure that there weren't other mothers out there whose children were stolen from them. I couldn't even comprehend that idea.

On Saturday, an official looking yellow envelope arrived with the afternoon mail. The return address announced it as coming from a genetics lab. I laid it on the table and simply stared at it.

"Hey, did my Cosmo come in?" Alice asked as she joined me in the kitchen. She rummaged through the typical assortment of coupons, credit card offers, and bills, before realizing that I hadn't responded. She watched me for a minute. "What's that?"

"It's . . ." I cleared my throat. "It's the results of the DNA test with Ryan," I answered. My voice was shaking as much as my hands.

"Are you going to open it?"

I shook my head. "No, I think I should wait for Edward. Of all weekends for him to have to train, it had to be this one."

"No kidding," she murmured. "Can you resist that long? Because I don't think I could."

"I don't know. I mean, I just want to rip this open and see the words to confirm what I already know. But then, what if it doesn't say what I think it will, and I'm devastated? I'm going to need him here. Why couldn't it have waited until Monday?" I groaned, hitting my head against the table.

Alice sighed and laid her hand on my shoulder. "Here's what we're going to do. This afternoon, we're going over to the shop and we're going to dress up in the most outlandish outfits we can dream up. Then, I'm taking you out to dinner. Before we come home, we'll go by Edward's and get his mail. When you talk to him, you can tell him to come straight here. Tomorrow morning, you and I will head over to Pike Place Market, pick up some ingredients, and then you can make Edward a special dinner. I'll make plans with Jasper so that we will both be out of your hair."

"Thank you, Alice," I whispered. She knew exactly what I needed to keep my mind from dwelling on this envelope all night. There had been a number of nights over the years that we'd invaded her shop and played dress up. Some of our creations had even made it onto the mannequins. It was always fun and light-hearted—just what I needed tonight.

There were some ugly pieces in Alice's shop. Sadly, they sold well to the too-much-wealth-not-enough-taste crowd. We tried to match them up to make them palatable and ended up laughing in a heap on the floor, surrounded by scarves and shirts. By the time the sun had set, we'd redressed two mannequins three times each and set up a rack with suggested outfits.

The letter at home was never far from my mind, but in my heart, I knew what it said, and its presence only comforted me. It contained the truth and the pathway that would bring my family back together. Perhaps, I thought, as Alice and I rummaged through Edward's mailbox, it would even be an avenue to bring Edward and his parents some closure and healing of their own.

Edward had a matching envelope in his box, and I tucked it into my purse, before leaving the rest of his mail in a neat pile on his kitchen table. Everything else was as it should be, so we locked up and left. On the way home, Alice wheeled by the RedBox and rented a movie that we didn't actually watch. Edward and Jasper called just after we pressed play. The movie was long forgotten as we retreated to our separate rooms to talk to the men in our lives.

I didn't mention the DNA tests to Edward. He still had training in the morning, and I didn't want his focus to be off while dealing with live ammunition. I was worrying enough for both of us.

The next morning, Alice and I got bagels and coffee at one of the many bakeries in the market. On a whim, I grabbed a fresh loaf of bread and a delicious looking angel food cake on my way out the door. With all of the vendors in Pike Place, it was a good thing we'd both brought our large, reusable bags. At this rate, we were going to need them.

Alice picked up some fresh flowers, while I bought broccoli at Lee's. The fresh strawberries at Hayton Farms were so enticing, we got two packages of them—one for eating right then, and one for dessert later. Don and Joe's had some excellent ribeyes, so I added those to my bag, and rounded off our meal with some wild rice from one of the market groceries. Alice wholeheartedly approved of my meal plan, but encouraged me to stop by one of the dairies for fresh whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

It was after one when we finished our shopping. Since the boys had sent us messages that they would return around four that afternoon, Alice and I hurried home to clean up and get the dinner I had planned for Edward and me ready. Jasper had promised Alice a real first date, so they would be out for most of the evening.

The steaks were marinating in a baking dish, and I'd just finished chopping the broccoli, when the apartment door opened.

"Honey, I'm home," Edward called playfully from the front door.

I ran to greet him.

He grabbed me securely and hugged me tightly. "Mmm, I missed you," he murmured into my hair.

I leaned back and kissed him hard on the mouth. "At least you've had something to keep you busy," I told him when we broke for air.

"Keep me busy they did," he affirmed. "Would you mind if I take a quick shower? I haven't had a chance since we ran ten miles this morning. I'm sure I smell lovely."

Frankly, I didn't really mind it. I could detect a hint of his cologne, but the natural muskiness of him was kind of a turn on. That said, if I wanted to get even closer to him later, I would prefer that he be clean. "Sure. I'll get dinner going."

He kissed me lightly again, hoisted his duffel over his shoulder, and tromped off down the hallway.

I quickly dumped the wild rice into the steamer, set it according to the printed directions, and laid the broccoli in the steaming tray above it. The vegetables would finish before the rice, but that couldn't be helped. I cored the strawberries and covered them with sugar, before sticking them in the refrigerator, and then I sliced the cake into wedges. The steaks would only require a few minutes in the broiler, but I preheated it while I waited.

The shower shut off, and I slid the steaks into the oven to cook. With any luck, everything would finish at roughly the same time and not too much after Edward came into the kitchen. Having food to concentrate on might make the opening of the envelopes much less frightening.

My luck, however, wasn't that good. The steaks hadn't been in the oven for more than five minutes when Edward strolled into the kitchen in his tight, black t-shirt and low slung jeans. Had I not been so distracted by his appearance, I might have noticed that his gaze had shifted from me to the bright yellow envelopes on the table.

"What are these?" he asked with a certain amount of suspicion in his voice, as if he knew that I'd been concealing something from him.

I faced the oven and checked on the cooking meat. "They came in the mail yesterday. I thought we should open them together," I answered.

"Bella, these are the DNA tests we took for Ryan," he said harshly. "Why didn't you open them and tell me what they said?"

My shoulders slumped. I'd thought that he would be as anxious as I was, not angry. "I was afraid," I whispered to the steamer. I couldn't face him.

His arms wrapped around my waist, and I jumped. I hadn't heard him come up to me. "Why were you afraid, baby?" he asked, his voice no longer harsh, but soothing.

"Because this is it; this is the proof that he's our son. What if we're wrong? I . . . I couldn't face that by myself. And I didn't want you to worry about it while you were shooting things, so I thought I'd make dinner, and we could do it together," I rambled.

"Okay," he said simply, backing away from me. "Get dinner ready, and we'll open them together."

That was all the encouragement I needed. The broccoli came out of the steamer a few minutes later, and the steaks followed. I shoved the bread in the oven to warm it while the rice finished, and soon, we were sitting down to a feast. Edward sat next to me and handed me my envelope.

"You know, if this says that you are his mother and I'm not his father, you're going to have some explaining to do," he joked.

I smacked his shoulder. "Yeah, because I was such a floozy," I said with a smile and a roll of my eyes. Edward and I had been each other's firsts, and there hadn't been anyone else for me until Garrett.

He snorted and ripped his envelope open. I watched as his eyes scanned the page, consuming all the information therein. I held my breath.

He swallowed three times, before turning back to me with moisture in his eyes. "He's ours," he whispered. "Ryan Cullen is our son."

Wasting no time, I tore open my own envelope and scanned the information confirming me as the little boy's mother. The fear I'd been harboring for an entire day seemed ridiculous at the moment, as if I should never have doubted what my heart had known all along.

Edward gathered me into his arms, despite the awkwardness of it. "Our son is alive," he murmured into my hair.

"I love you," I choked out through the tears that fell freely from my eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, baby."

Dinner was a lighthearted affair after that. We laughed, joked, and dreamed about our future and what we could have now that we knew our son had survived.

Edward placed a call to Dad while I loaded the dishwasher, putting him on speaker so I could hear the conversation.

"Hey, Charlie," Edward said conversationally after Dad picked up. "It's Edward and Bella."

"_Hey.__What__can__I__do__for__you__this__evening?__I__don__'__t__usually__merit__a__phone__call__at__seven__o__'__clock__on__a__Sunday__night,__"_ he teased.

"With as talkative as you are, Dad, you don't merit a phone call any day of the week," I joked back.

"_That__hurts,__Bells.__Cuts__right__to__the__quick,__" _he mocked. _"__Seriously,__though,__what__'__s__going__on?__"_

"We got our test results back, and you are the proud grandfather of a ten-year-old boy," Edward told him. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he said the words.

Charlie was speechless for several seconds, and then he said with awe, "_Well,__damn,__what__do__you__know__about__that?__Congratulations,__guys.__"_

"Thanks, Daddy," I whispered, tearing up again. I knew that he was genuinely happy for us, and for himself.

Edward clicked it off speaker and stepped into the living room to finish the conversation. Minutes later, he returned, sliding my phone onto the countertop.

"He wants me to fax over the results in the morning for the case file," Edward said. "We'll need to send them to Aron, as well."

"I'll call in the morning and get his fax number for you," I offered.

Edward smiled at me. The happiness in his green eyes drew me in, and before I knew it, our mouths met in a passionate kiss.

"A week's too long without you," he groaned. I knew what he meant. My entire body was buzzing with desire for him. "And now I have to show you what a sexy little mother you are." He wiggled his eyebrows, and I laughed at his antics.

"Come on, Daddy, show me what you've got," I challenged, leading him back to my room.

He did. Repeatedly. All night long.

The next morning, I was naked and more than a little sore from our activities the night before. Five orgasms had a way of exhausting the body. Just the memory of the way his tongue and fingers had brought me to new heights while he recovered was enough, though, to send heat rushing through my body again. My nipple pebbled underneath Edward's hand.

He groaned. "Baby, as much as I would love to right now, I think I'm going to need a few more hours. Frankly, I'm not sure I can move."

I giggled. "I thought you were still sleeping."

"Fuck," he groaned. "I wish I was, but between your body rubbing against mine and my damn internal alarm, I've been awake for almost thirty minutes."

"No run today?" I asked.

He rarely skipped, but was already a little later than he normally allowed himself to lay in bed.

"Beautiful, if I'm too tired to fuck you, I'm too tired to run," Edward answered. He rolled onto his back and stretched. "Jasper and I will have to look over everything Ben did over the weekend, so I'll probably be late tonight."

"Do you want me to save you some dinner?" I asked.

"If you feel like it. If not, I'll get something on my way home."

I looked at his face and laughed at his disgruntled expression. "You have to get up now, don't you?"

"Yes," he whined. With a loud sigh, he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

I watched him get dressed from underneath the covers and eagerly accepted his parting kiss. It wasn't until I heard the outer door close behind him that I got out of bed to prepare for my own day.

As it turned out, Aron had already gotten a copy of the reports directly from the lab. He also had already gotten a call from Tia Stefano, the Cullens' attorney. With our permission, he was going to feel her out on what they were willing to offer and try to solidify our position from there. I readily granted it.

My first two patients were not such bright spotlights. John was working with me on anger management and had been for over six months. At the end of the previous week, he'd gotten suspended for fighting and refused to explain his actions or his feelings on the subject. We mostly spent the hour with me asking questions and John either ignoring me or grunting his responses. I suspected a girl was involved.

Lani, a sweet girl with OCD, had fallen back into some of her more extreme behaviors over the weekend, following an argument with her best friend. She was so frustrated with her own inability to stop brushing her hair that she burst into tears every time she touched her head with her hands.

To say that I was relieved when Lani left my office would be an understatement. I pulled my phone out of my drawer to call Edward for a dose of sanity, when I noticed my message light. It was from Alice.

**U have plans 2nite. Angie will be here at 6. Meet her house.**

The thought of seeing my old friend again put a huge smile on my face. Suddenly, the rest of my day didn't seem so arduous. It didn't even phase me when Kate asked to see me before I left.

"Hey, Bella," she said when I walked into her office. "I have a favor to ask."

"Shoot," I said happily, plopping down on her couch.

"I have a patient that I would like to refer to you. She's nineteen, but she recently had a child and gave her up for adoption. Now, she's struggling with post-partum depression and feeling like she made a mistake in giving up her child. I know your situation has changed, but do you think you could take her on?" Kate asked.

I thought hard about what she was asking. It would be hard to remove my personal feelings from the case, but I, better than anyone, could relate and offer her a different perspective. "We can try it. Why don't I sit in on one of your sessions and see how it goes?"

Kate smiled. "That's a wonderful idea. I'll have Chelsea make it so. Any big plans this week?"

"Other than work? Not really. One of my best friends from high school is moving to town tonight, so I'm going to help her. Edward and I may have to make another trip to Forks this weekend, but I have to wait to hear from Aron Michaels before we plan it," I relayed.

"So he's working out then?" she asked.

"Yes, he's been great. Thank you for the referral."

Kate stood, and it was clear she was giving me the out I needed to leave. "I'm sure you're most excited to get to your friend's house. Thanks for helping me."

"You're welcome." I flashed her a smile and left, surprised to find myself not at all concerned about my new patient and her effect on my own well-being.

Alice was waiting for me when I walked in Angela's door. She'd put up some crepe paper streamers and a "Welcome Home" banner. I couldn't tell who was more excited for Angela's homecoming—me or Alice. She was practically vibrating.

"Ang will be here in about fifteen minutes," she said, her eyes bright. "Do you think she'll like it?"

I did think she would like it, but even if she didn't, Angela would never let on. That was just her way. "She'll love it," I reassured my friend. "When is her stuff supposed to be here?"

"When she pulls in the driveway. For some reason, she decided to drive the U-Haul herself. She said she didn't have much and that her car wouldn't make the trip." Alice's eyes wandered over my dress clothes. "I brought you a change of clothes in case she wants help unpacking."

"You really think of everything," I mused with a shake of my head. I didn't have time to ponder the mystery that was Alice anymore, though, as the rumble of a moving van met our ears. Angela was coming down the street, almost ten minutes early.

Alice and I waited in silence while the heavy truck parked in the driveway, and then cut off. Soft footsteps, barely audible, padded up the wooden front stairs and keys rattled in the knob. Seconds later, the door swung open, revealing a tired and somewhat disheveled version of my second best female friend in the world.

"Welcome home!" Alice and I shouted together in unison.

Angela's eyes widened comically, and she laid her hand over her heart. "Oh my goodness! What a welcoming committee!" Tears pricked at her eyes. "Thank you, guys!"

We rushed forward and hugged her. For several minutes, we were just a mass of giggling, happy girls, finally reunited after so long apart.

"Do you girls mind helping me unload the truck? I know it's late and you've worked all day, but I don't want to leave my stuff in there all night," Angela said.

I smiled at her. "That's why we're here. Let me get Alice's keys and change."

"Thank you," Angela said gratefully. "I'll just order some pizzas. I guess the heavy stuff can stay in there for now, but it would be nice to have clothes and shampoo tomorrow."

"Why don't I call Edward and see if he and Jasper can come over once they finish work tonight? He said it would be late, but better late than never, right?" I offered.

"And I'll give her the tour while you do that," Alice interjected.

Angela just nodded, overwhelmed.

Fifteen minutes, a message to Edward, and a change of clothes later, I met up with Alice and Angela in the kitchen. Angela was gushing about how much she loved what Alice had done and how her stuff would fit perfectly into the new space.

While we waited for the pizza to show up, Angela, Alice and I climbed up into the back of the U-Haul and shifted the heavier pieces of furniture aside to pull out all of her boxes. Like me, Angela had a lot of books and had packed them all in small boxes to keep them from being too heavy to carry. During our third trip into the house, the pizza man showed up with three pizzas.

"One of each of us, Ang?" I teased.

She blushed. "Well, no. I thought maybe if the guys came, they'd be hungry, too. Should I have gotten more?"

Alice laughed. "No, that's plenty. They have to keep their girlish figures somehow."

"Hey, who are you calling girlish?" Edward asked, faking being offended as he snuck up behind Alice. A short, thin guy with glasses followed behind him.

Alice giggled and squirmed away when he tickled her. He greeted Angela with a hug, and then walked over to me, kissed me, and held out his hand to gesture to his companion. "This is Ben Cheney. He's our new guy. Jasper was finishing up on a few things from over the weekend, so Ben agreed to come help me carry stuff."

We all waved politely, but secretly, I wondered how that stick of a man was going to carry Angela's very heavy oak bed.

I needn't have worried. After loading up on pizza, Edward and Ben climbed into the back of the truck and made short work of getting the bed, dresser, bookcase, and desk unloaded. They stripped off their shirts while we watched and heaved each piece into the house. The years in the military must have done something for Ben, as he kept up with Edward piece for piece and step for step.

It was all we could do through our drooling to get the boxes out and into the appropriate rooms. I noticed Angela checking out Ben, despite their six inch height difference, almost as much as I was appreciating Edward's lean, muscular body.

"Well, if you ladies have had your fill," Edward called with a smirk as he jerked his t-shirt over his head, "we're about done. Ben, grab those last two boxes, and we can lock up the truck."

Angela and I both blushed deeply at being called out. Edward smirked at me as he got closer and leaned down to whisper so that only I could hear him. "I don't mind you looking, but why don't we save it for somewhere more private so I can return the favor?"

I smacked his arm, but couldn't stop from grinning.

"All right," Alice announced. "I'm taking off. I have to be at the store early in the morning, and I need my beauty sleep."

"Thank you so much for all you've done, Alice. This place looks beautiful. Edward, Bella, Ben, thanks for helping me move in. As soon as I find all my dishes, I'll have you all over for a proper dinner." Angela gave each of us a hug and walked us to our cars.

"It was no trouble, Ang. I'm just happy to have you close again," I said sincerely. I'd missed her more than I'd realized.

We embraced again, and I hopped into my car. Edward had to take Ben back to the office to get his car, and then he'd be over, so I followed him out of the drive; Angela waved good-bye from her porch. I had a funny feeling that the six of us would be spending a lot more time together.

**Did that go as you expected? I mean, really, could the results have been anything different? Leave me a note and let me know. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this. No stealing please. **

**A/N: Wow! I got a lot of new readers today. That thrills me to no end. Welcome! Thank you for reading. Thanks to my loyal readers too. For those that think that the pace is slow, please keep in mind that legal processes, even in family court cases, don't run like we think they should. It takes time. That said, it'll pick up. Thanks to Jenny Cullen for betaing this mess. She rocks. **

**A/N 2: I'm replacing this chapter because of the issues with the italics. It's an issue and I've been working with them to get it fixed. The temporary fix isn't working now, so there's that. Sorry, guys!**

**Chapter 13**

I hadn't realized that I was so tired until I fell asleep waiting for Edward. Sometime after ten, he crept into my room and got in bed without waking me; I only knew this because I woke the next morning, spooned against him, only minutes before the alarm on his phone went off.

"Mmm," he mumbled against my hair after he snoozed it and cuddled back up to me. "Sorry I took so long last night. Ben had about a million questions about Angela."

I giggled sleepily. "There's a match I would never have figured. He's so short and nerdy . . ."

"And she's tall and nerdy?" Edward supplied.

I kicked his shin.

"Ow, shit, baby! That hurt."

"Sorry," I said. "Should I kiss it and make it better?" I turned to face him.

His eyebrows shot up, and a sly smile crept onto his face. "I have something else you can kiss to make it better."

I just rolled my eyes. "You're such a perv. Besides, I don't have time to do that. _You_ have to get out of bed and go running."

"Come with me?" he asked. His pout was irresistible.

We ran mostly in silence through the neighborhood surrounding our house. My pulse thudded in my ears, and I almost missed it when Edward spoke.

"I'd like to go to Forks again this weekend."

"Again?" I asked. Without having heard anything from Aron, it seemed foolhardy to place ourselves in another situation like last weekend.

He nodded. "I want to get in touch with the Cullens and see Ryan."

"Should we call Aron first?" I asked. I wanted to see my son more than anything, but I didn't want to jeopardize our chances of taking custody of him.

"Probably," he conceded. "But I just don't care. We can talk to Gerandy, too, while we're there."

Images of Bob Gerandy flashed through my mind, but instead of the kindly man I'd known since I'd moved to Forks just before my freshman year, he looked mean and sinister. I wanted to punch his eyeballs out with a hot poker. Or cut his heart out with a spoon, just so he would know how I'd felt all those years.

"Okay," I heard myself agree. It might be foolish, but I needed to know my son—needed him to know that we loved him and had never wanted to give him up.

He kissed me briefly, as both of us were breathing hard, when we arrived back in front of my building. "I'm on the late shift tonight, but I'm taking you out tomorrow," he declared.

"I'll look forward to it," I promised.

His boyish grin in response reminded me so much of who he used to be, the boy I fell in love with so long ago. He waved, got in his car and took off down the street.

I could remember a time when Edward would come up to me at my locker and say, "You and me are going out tonight, Swan. I'll pick you up at seven." Back then, we both thought he was so smooth. Of course, I never said no. What self-respecting bookworm would say no to a date with the star of the baseball team?

My studiousness never bothered him. He would bring his books over to my house in the afternoon and do homework with me. When our English assignments dictated that we read this or that novel, we'd sit in his room or under the tree in my back yard and read it out loud to each other. Life was so simple then.

As I got ready for work, I thought about how much our relationship had changed. We were adults now, so things like bills and responsibilities always factored in, but it was still easy. We loved each other with our whole hearts—maybe more than we had as teenagers now that we knew what it meant.

I stayed late to chart the day's patients' progress. Some of them, like Seth, wouldn't need to see me much longer. His school counselor had referred him after his grades slipped from As and Bs to Cs and Ds. He'd been having trouble at home. His father was an alcoholic and had left his mother, and they were barely making ends meet. Now, his grades had returned to normal, and since he felt he had to help out at home, he had a part time job that brought in a little money and kept him off the streets. We'd worked through his feelings of inadequacy—that he wasn't enough to make his father stay and that he couldn't help his mother. All in all, I felt like he was ready to transition to a needs-based session schedule.

Mary, however, was here for the long haul. She claimed that she could see the future, albeit in shadowy and cryptic visions that even she couldn't always decipher. I had to admit that when she could figure them out, she was uncannily accurate, but the knowledge of tragedies to come that she usually couldn't prevent made her withdrawn and angry.

Alice called while I was going through the files and told me that she and her two new interns were going to be doing inventory and not to hold dinner for her sake. With a solitary night ahead of me, I gathered my things and went home.

My well-worn copy of _Pride__and__Prejudice_ sat on my shelf, calling to me from across the room. After we'd read the novel together the first time during our sophomore year, Edward had bought me a copy for my own. I'd had the library's copy on continuous loan for months.

Despite the fact that the binding had peeled off long ago and two of the pages were missing, I couldn't bear to throw it away. It had been one of my few remaining links with Edward. A small box at the back of my closet held all of the keepsakes from our dates and the gifts he'd given me over the years. I hadn't been able to bear looking at them, but _Pride__and__Prejudice_ had remained on my shelf.

Taking a page out of Edward's normal play book, I grabbed my book, a change of clothes, and went to his apartment to wait for him.

"This old thing again," he whispered in my ear, amused.

I must have fallen asleep reading on his couch, and he'd woken me when he got home hours later. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"Is this the same book I bought for you, like, eleven years ago?" he asked.

"It is. I think it's seen better days," I admitted.

He chuckled and shook his head. He looked tired. "Let's get you into bed."

"I'm too tired," I whined. It wasn't often that I refused sex with Edward, but having been in such a sound sleep, my body wasn't going to wake up without a lot of work.

"Fuck, angel, I am, too. I meant to go to sleep in a more comfortable spot."

We both laughed, and he helped me off the couch. I stripped off my yoga pants and crawled between the sheets in my tank top and underwear. Minutes later, Edward lifted the covers, sending a blast of cold air around my body. He snuggled up against me, and I drifted back off to sleep, warm, safe, and loved.

Edward's alarm went off as usual the next morning, but he shut it off almost immediately. "I'm not going running this morning," he announced in a scruffy voice.

"Oh really?" I asked through a yawn. "What are you going to do this morning?"

He turned to look at me with an almost feral expression. "You." Edward claimed my mouth, ignoring my morning breath and my feeble protests.

"Shower," I finally managed to eke out while he was kissing my neck.

Edward pulled back, gave me a wolfish grin, and tugged me out of bed. Our clothes littered the floor on the way to the bathroom. While Edward got the water started and ran out of the room to start the coffee pot, I quickly brushed my teeth and used the bathroom. The water was already cascading over my hair when he returned.

"God, that's sexy," he murmured, running his hands up my sides and cupping my breasts.

I leaned forward and opened my eyes, only to see him staring at my body hungrily.

Maybe it was because the marks were caused by his child growing inside of me, or maybe it was just Edward, but he never made me feel self-conscious about my stretch marks or my widened hips. He worshipped them like he worshipped the rest of me.

I reached out and stroked his cock, already stiff and proud, ready for me. He jumped a little at the contact, but then sighed in satisfaction at my motions. His right hand flowed over my hip and darted inward. I moaned with abandon.

"You're so wet," he groaned as he felt how ready I was for him.

"Only for you," I told him.

He groaned again and pushed me into the shower wall, covering my mouth with his. I could feel his dick pushing against my hip, and I shifted slightly to bring it to where I wanted him most.

"Shit, beautiful, this isn't going to last long," he grunted as he hoisted me into his arms and slid into me.

Since we were alone, I didn't bother to muffle the sounds of my pleasure as Edward drove into me over and over and over again. "Right there," I gasped, as the head of his cock rubbed me in just the right way. Two more thrusts hitting that spot had me calling his name as my orgasm exploded through my body.

"Oh . . . fuck . . . Goddamn . . . argh!" Edward shouted as he released inside of me. "Fuck me, I love you."

I laughed at him and kissed his nose. "I love you, too. Now let me down before the water gets cold."

For the rest of our quick shower—the hot water ran out about five minutes later—we managed to keep our hands to ourselves, but as soon as we were both wrapped in Edward's fluffy towels, he kissed me gently. 

"I meant that, you know. I do love you . . . so much," he said seriously.

"I know," I told him with a smile. "And I love you more than you can imagine. I'm so glad I have you in my life again. It finally feels like it's worth living."

"I know what you mean. I guess you'd better get dressed so you can go to work, though. I want you ready to go on our date at seventeen thirty precisely," he ordered.

I shook my head as his military training leaked through. "I'll be waiting at home."

Donning my yoga pants and a t-shirt, I made my way home, only to change my clothes, blow dry my hair, and leave again for work.

The patient that Kate had asked me to sit in on was on the schedule for the afternoon. Chelsea had made sure she was the last one I'd see, but that meant that my morning was more hectic than usual. By the time two o'clock rolled around, I was jumpy and my stomach was threatening to reject the deli sandwich I'd scarfed down two hours before. As it was, it was still sitting in my stomach like a lead weight.

Michelle, Kate's patient, sat in the corner of Kate's couch with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her long hair was somewhat greasy, as if it hadn't been washed in a couple of days, and hung limply around her head. Everything about her screamed "leave me alone."

Instead of taking the chair that Kate had brought out behind her desk, I took a seat in the leather wingback chair she had next to the couch. Kate eyed me curiously, but brought her desk chair around next to me.

"Michelle, this is Dr. Swan," she began. "In our last session, we talked about meeting with her, as well; do you remember?"

"I'm not a moron," Michelle snapped.

"I know you aren't," Kate said, placating her. "I just wanted to clarify who was joining us today."

Michelle finally lifted her head and stared at me. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her skin was sallow. The pain I'd sensed earlier was only a fraction of what stared back at me.

"Hello, Michelle," I greeted her. There was no response, not even a flicker in her deep blue eyes. "Why don't you tell me what's going on in your own words?"

She huffed, but didn't drop my stare, which pleased me. "I got knocked up by my boyfriend, and when he found out, he skipped town. I can't take care of a baby, so I gave her up for adoption. Now I wish I hadn't. I miss my baby, and I'm sad all the time. I can't keep paying for these sessions, but it's not getting any better."

"Were you involved in choosing the adoptive parents?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah. They came to all the appointments with me and shit . . . stuff."

I asked about other treatments she'd tried for the post-partum depression, but without insurance, there wasn't much she could afford. For the rest of the hour, we talked about the causes of post-partum depression in general and the specific causes of her own. I also suggested that she contact the adoptive parents and ask to remain involved in some way. For now, it could be something as simple as getting a copy of pictures. In the future, they would have her information if her daughter wanted to know her. That seemed to give her some hope. We also directed her to one of the doctors we knew at one of the free clinics nearby. If they could find a short term medical treatment for her, she could alternate that with therapy without too much of an additional hit on her finances.

Kate was thrilled with my suggestions and solutions and didn't hesitate to tell me about it as soon as Michelle was out the door.

"I was really nervous about bringing you in on this, with your past, but your solutions were excellent. They might work, they might not, but it gave her something to focus on other than her misery," she praised. I wondered if this hadn't been her whole point when she involved me in the first place.

I had to agree that my outlook had changed somewhat since finding out that my son was alive and well and living only four hours away. In fact, being able to help a fellow teenage mother with her own qualms about the solution she'd chosen lifted my spirits even more.

Edward noticed my happy smile as soon as I opened the door. "What's got you so happy this evening, baby?" he asked.

"Can't I just be happy to see you?" I teased.

He snorted. "Well, you could be, but you usually aren't quite _this_ happy to see me."

"Yeah, yeah. I had a really good day at work, if you must know." Throughout the rest of our drive to a little Italian restaurant he knew and through the salad course, I told him, without names or specifics, about the appointment this afternoon and how whole it had made me feel. I didn't have to avoid certain cases anymore to avoid my own breakdown.

While the knowledge that I still suffered through the repercussions of Ryan's death clearly pained Edward, he was genuinely excited with me for the changes I could see in myself.

"Why is it that your day sounds so much more fulfilling than mine? I tracked down one of the leaders of a terrorist cell that's been behind two embassy bombings and several other guerrilla attacks on our troops, and he should be in custody by this time tomorrow. You spent the day talking to people and got so much more satisfaction out of it," he mused, shaking his head. By his tone, though, it was clear he was proud of what he had accomplished.

"And here I thought you boys just played video games all day," I joked.

"One time! You stop by one time while Jasper and I were taking a break, and I never hear the end of it," he said with fake exasperation.

"Uh-huh," I chided.

We both knew it wasn't the only time he and Jasper had indulged in their mutual love of _Call__of__Duty_ during working hours. He'd been playing one night when I was over at his apartment, and when we went to bed, he was mad because Jasper had outdone him and was on a higher level. The next night, he was proudly three levels higher than Jasper. He had the downtime, though. They'd set up algorithms to run and cull the data they needed, and while they did, the boys played games.

Over entrees, we ironed out our plans for the weekend. Edward had already spoken to Charlie and made arrangements to see Bob Gerandy Saturday morning. I still hadn't heard from Aron in regards to our intentions to see Ryan, and since I didn't know how to contact the Cullens, other than calling Dr. Cullen at the hospital, we decided to wait until we got there to finalize those.

Since it wasn't raining for once, though the cloud cover was thick, Edward took me on a walk down by the waterfront after we ate. Hand in hand, we walked along, pointing out the sights as went. For a few short hours, we weren't a couple that had lost their child ten years before, or the couple that had been forced apart. We were two people in love, sharing time and ourselves with each other.

"Are you ready to go home?" Edward asked when I shivered from the chilly breeze coming off the water.

"Yeah, kinda." I shrugged. "I'm not ready to let go of you yet."

Edward pressed his lips to the side of my head. "I'm sure glad to hear that, because I don't intend to ever let you go."

"Jasper's rubbing off on you," I murmured, trying not to laugh at the hint of an accent he brought out.

"Damn it!" he cried. "There I was, trying to be all sweet and stuff."

"It was sweet," I assured him. "You just channeled West Texas for a minute."

He sighed. "Let's just go home. Your place, whatever. Has that real estate agent Alice knows come back with anything yet?"

"I'll ask Alice tomorrow. I haven't seen her in a couple of days." I slid into Edward's car, and he shut the door behind me like always.

We didn't speak much on the way back to my apartment, nor while we were getting in bed. But as we held each other, snuggled under the covers, I felt every bit of love I had for the man swell in my heart.

"I love you," I told him. "Thank you for tonight."

"Anything for you, Bella. You are the light of my world," he whispered.

His sweet words lulled me to sleep, and I dreamed of a world where we were together with our families and all of our children by our sides.

The next two days were a blur. Alice's real estate agent friend had just gotten back from vacation and was trying to play catch up, in addition to searching for properties that met Alice's standards. On Thursday night, I ended up meeting Alice at her store, because when she'd done inventory, she discovered some glaring shortages and was trying to match up the sizes of the missing garments to the sizes that she had on file for Angel. I agreed to help and was treated to an hour long rant on the ingratitude of the younger generation.

Friday started promising. Edward picked me up—coffee in hand—and took me to work so we could leave for Forks straight away. I had an after school appointment that couldn't be rescheduled, so we wouldn't be getting out of town until after five. He kissed me sweetly and waved as he drove away.

The day went downhill from there. My first patient of the day went ballistic in my office, and it took Zafrina, Kate, the girl's mother, and me more than ten minutes to restrain her and another twenty for me to get her calmed down. With the appointment a total waste as far as helping the poor girl deal with her rage and insecurity, we rescheduled for Monday and put the girl on in home watch for the rest of the weekend.

Chelsea patched Aron Michaels through minutes after they left.

"Hey, Aron!" I greeted, trying to restore my earlier hope and good humor.

"Bella. I heard from the Cullens' attorney today. They're challenging your right to custody," he told me.

"What? How can they do that?" I cried.

"They can do whatever they want, and until the courts settle the action, a prohibition will stand. They won't win this, because they don't have grounds to deny you."

"We can't see him this weekend, then," I said softly, realizing what this meant.

"Ah, well, that is the bit of good news that I have. While the attorney is trying to prevent the state from granting you custody, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen have agreed, in a gesture of goodwill, no doubt, to allow supervised visitation. They have suggested that you and Major Masen come to their home on Saturday afternoon at two o'clock."

He didn't sound thrilled about this, and aloud, I wondered why.

"This gives them complete control over the situation, Bella. While a supervised visit with Ryan in an environment he's comfortable with is ideal for the initial meeting, I would prefer the supervision to be someone other than the Cullens. They'll be watching him closely for signs of distress and can shut things down on a whim. That said, I checked into it, and the closest case workers or state certified psychologists are in Port Angeles. Since it hasn't been referred to DSHS yet, they can't officially get involved. And yes, before you mention it, I know that you are licensed to work with the state on cases like this, but you can't do double duty here," he added.

"If that's the best we can do, I'll take it, Aron. I want to see my son."

"Okay. I'll make the call. I'm also going to document this to show your willingness to comply with their requests. Keep your cell handy, though, in case something else comes through."

"I will. Thank you, Aron." As soon as we hung up, I emailed Edward to let him know about the visitation arrangements and welcomed my next patient into my office.

The downside of having taken Aron's call at ten in the morning was that my mind wasn't wholly on my patients, as it should have been, for the rest of the day. Fortunately, only one of them noticed my distraction, but he put it off as hunger. Leave it to an autistic teenage boy to simplify life into basic needs only.

By the time Edward showed up at five, my nerves were at an all time high. My skin was practically crawling. Thankfully, he knew me well enough not to push.

"Does Wendy's sound okay for dinner?" he asked, when he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, that's fine. I like their chicken."

Edward chuckled, but didn't comment. I always got the same thing when I went to Wendy's, and he knew it. Heck, he could probably order for me by now.

The lady at the drive-thru window handed out our drinks and the bag of food just as Edward's phone rang. He fumbled and handed the bag to me while he tried to pull his phone out of his pocket.

"Mom?" he answered, surprise clear in his voice. "It's really loud. Where are you?"

I watched as his forehead furrowed, and then he threw the phone on speaker.

"Where are you?" he asked again.

"We're on our way to baggage claim at Sea-Tac."

If we had been moving, I was positive that Edward would have wrecked the car. "What are you doing in Seattle, Mom?"

She sighed one of those all-knowing "Mom" sighs. "Edward, darling, I could tell that you've been under a lot of stress and upset about something the last few weeks. We came to help."

"We?" Edward practically bit the word off with his teeth.

I could see where this was going, and I grabbed his hand to calm him down.

"Of course, we. Your dad's been as worried as I have. Maybe we can go out to dinner. Call Bella, and we'll meet you wherever." Clearly, she wasn't picking up on Edward's tension now.

"Bella's with me now, Mom. We've already gotten dinner, and we're on our way to Forks for the weekend," Edward said. He was breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth.

"Oh, well, can you go next weekend? We'd love to spend some time with you, and it's not like there's anything important in Forks that can't wait," she reasoned.

Edward gritted his teeth and swallowed. If the ornamental tree in Wendy's parking lot could have died from his expression, it would have been ashes at this point. "Actually, Mom, it can't wait. We're going to see Ryan this weekend."

The line was quiet for several seconds. "I didn't realize that there was a monument to visit. I thought he'd been cremated. If I'd known, we would have come sooner for you." Her voice was stilted and terse.

"There is no monument, Mother. We're going to visit our son—our living, breathing, ten-year-old son."

**They're here! I know you all were waiting for this moment. Lots of confrontations upcoming. Leave me some love!**

**I will be participating in the Fandom Against Juvenile Diabetes compilation coming after the new year. This is a cause near and dear to my heart as my husband of 11 years suffers from Type I diabetes and has since he was seven. Please considering contributing to this cause. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all other recognizable features are the products of their owners—including this story. It belongs to me. Don't steal. It's rude. **

**A/N: So . . . as promised, I'm combining chapters 14 and 15 for you. The chapter break you see below marks the division between them. There should be a lot of answers contained herein and I expect to hear a lot of reactions when it's all said and done. **

**Thank you to all my readers for your words and encouragement. Thank you to Jenny Cullen for betaing and for her wise words. **

**Chapter 14**

I heard a lot of shuffling and the overhead announcement from the airport's loud speaker through the phone. Seconds passed with Edward and me just staring at his handset.

"I guess you hadn't told them?" I whispered.

"No." He shook his head. "I didn't think . . . after everything . . ."

The noise decreased dramatically. I could hear the tell tale sound of automatic dryers and the occasional toilet flushing, but the ambient noise of the airport was greatly reduced.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I had to get somewhere quieter. And sit down. There're benches in here." Elizabeth was rambling. "I thought you said . . . well, that Ryan was alive and you were going to see him."

Edward's jaw twitched from gritting his teeth so hard, and it didn't look like he was going to answer anytime soon.

"That is what he said, Mrs. Masen," I answered for him.

Her sharp intake of breath was audible even through the tiny speaker. Edward shoved the car into drive and veered onto the interstate. No one spoke for more than a mile. I even checked the phone to see if we were still connected.

"Bella, dear, is the diner still open in Forks?" Elizabeth finally asked. Her voice sounded strained.

"Yes, ma'am. Until midnight, like always," I answered.

"Good. Well, let me go and retrieve our rental car. We can change our hotel reservations on the way. Would you all be willing to meet us at the diner when we get in to explain all this?"

"Yeah," Edward said tiredly. "Or we'll just come to your room at The Lodge when you get in, if you don't feel like eating. Just let us know. That's where we'll be staying."

"We're staying at The Lodge?" I asked quietly.

"I am not pretending to sleep on your father's couch again," he retorted.

I nodded and giggled at the memory.

"I love you, sweetheart," Elizabeth said. "We'll see you in a few hours." I heard the noise level rise, and then Ed's voice, and I assumed that she'd left the bathroom. The line cut off a few seconds later.

"Fuck," Edward groaned. He ran one hand down his face and cracked his neck.

I dug around in the bag to find his burger and handed it over. I waited until he had a few bites in him before I asked the burning question. "Why hadn't you told them?"

He'd just bitten into the last half of his burger when I spoke, and he rolled his eyes at my stellar timing. I popped a few fries in my mouth while I waited patiently for him to chew and swallow.

"Honestly? Because if Dad was involved in this somehow, I didn't want him to warn Gerandy before your dad could arrest him," he said matter-of-factly.

"Do you really think he could have done that?" I asked. I hated that he doubted his parents.

"I don't know what to think, Bella," he admitted. "What kind of people uproot their kid after he's just lost a child and move him away from everything he's ever known and the girl he loves? Why would they do that?"

I didn't know what to tell him, because I honestly thought they had been beyond cruel to both of us. I also wasn't looking forward to seeing them tonight. Edward might have made his peace with them, but I hadn't. I was resolved to be nice for his sake alone.

We finished our dinner as the miles flew by, both lost in our own thoughts.

The Welcome to Forks sign appeared before I realized that we'd been in the car for almost four hours. Edward swung into The Lodge's parking lot, and we got out together to check in.

"Ah, Edward, good to see you again," Sam Uley greeted from the front desk. Sam and his wife, Emily, had taken over The Lodge from his parents a few years before, and one of them was always here.

"You, too, Sam. We need to check in, again," Edward said with a forced laugh.

"Right-o. Your parents called a couple hours ago to get a room. You want them next to each other?" Sam asked.

"No!" Edward practically shouted.

I startled and stared at him in shock.

His voice calmed considerably. "No, that's not necessary."

Sam eyed him with a funny look, and then flicked his eyes over to me, his frown turning into a smirk. "You got it, Ed. I put you in one-oh-four, if that's all right. I'll make sure your parents are on the other side."

"Good man, Sam," Edward said, shaking Sam's hand and taking the key.

We got back into the car and pulled it around in front of our room.

"Is there a reason that you don't want to be near your mom and dad?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "I want you to be able to get away if you need to. If we're right next door, you won't be able to escape from them . . . and neither will I."

As usual, he'd thought of me and what I would and wouldn't be comfortable with. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you, too," he said with a smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes, though. "Let's go in and get settled. With the way my dad drives, they won't be far behind us."

He was right. No sooner had we lugged our suitcases in and flopped onto the king sized bed, Elizabeth called. They were about five minutes away and wanted to know where we wanted to meet.

Edward put the phone on mute and turned to me. "What do you think? In public, where there is a chance for gossip to get out, or in private, where I run the risk of hitting someone?"

I laughed. "You won't hit him. But let's do public. I think I'd do better with the buffer of food between us."

Edward raised his phone back up and told his parents to meet us at the diner in fifteen minutes. He reasoned with his mother that it would give them a chance to check in so that Sam and Emily didn't have to stay up any later than necessary.

Whether she was just excited to see her son, or to hear the news we had, I wasn't sure, but Ed and Elizabeth beat us to the diner. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet and threw herself at Edward when he got out of the car. He hugged her tightly. Despite his apprehension, it was clear that he loved her and had missed her.

I took my time getting out, watching Edward shake his father's hand and exchange pleasantries. I hadn't seen these people since I was seventeen-years-old and in labor. So many things had changed, and my welcome was far from certain.

"Bella, it's lovely to see you again," Elizabeth said kindly, wrapping me in her warm, motherly embrace. "You look wonderful." She hooked her arm in mine and led me into the restaurant, where she commandeered a corner booth.

Edward followed behind us with his hands shoved in his pockets. His father was behind him, still dressed in a business suit and looking rather uptight.

Norma, the red-headed waitress that had worked in the diner forever, handed out our menus, welcomed us back to Forks, and took our drink orders. The minutes stretched by as we each focused on the plastic coated menus in front of us instead of the real reason we were crammed around the table. The tension grew as Norma took our orders and disappeared behind the counter.

"Okay, you two," Elizabeth ordered, laying her hands flat on the formica and staring across the table at us. "Start at the beginning."

Edward huffed and rolled his eyes. "In the beginning, Bella and I created a baby."

I kicked him under the table.

"Ow!" he complained, glancing sideways at me. "That was the beginning!"

"I'm fairly sure they remember that part," I told him.

"It's the beginning," he said defensively. "And that's where I'm starting." He turned back to his parents. "We decided that we wanted to keep the baby, against your advice. After Ryan was born, both Bella and I were told he died in childbirth. Then, Dr. Gerandy told us all about the mix-up at the morgue."

"Yes, I remember," Elizabeth said sadly.

"When we were in town for our reunion, Bella was out running and saw the new doctor drop off his son for baseball practice. After we did a little digging with Charlie Swan's help, we discovered that Ryan didn't die in childbirth. He was stolen and adopted by the Cullens, who coincidentally moved here when Bob Gerandy retired."

Elizabeth gasped again. "How is that possible?"

I picked up the thread. "When I went into labor, Dr. Gerandy told me that Edward wasn't allowed to be in the room and Dad didn't want to be, so I was alone with Dr. Gerandy and his nurse."

"You were alone?" Elizabeth's voice rose in pitch. "I asked them if I could be in there with you since they wouldn't let Edward go back, and they said it wasn't necessary, that you had someone with you already!"

"I didn't," I told her sadly. "I also wasn't given anything remotely effective for pain, and after pushing Ryan out, I blacked out. It wasn't until I woke up in another room that they told me he was dead."

Tears lined Elizabeth's eyes, and she grasped my hand like a life line.

"From what we've been able to piece together, Dr. Gerandy made arrangements with an adoption agency out of state and had Susan Mallory deliver the baby when he was five days old. It was arranged months before Bella went into labor. The Cullens were told that we wanted it to be a closed adoption and wanted no information about him. The only thing that Susan Mallory insisted upon was that they name him Ryan, since that was what we had called him," Edward said.

"Oh God," Elizabeth whimpered. The tears she'd been holding back spilled out over her cheeks, and she held tighter to my hand. I chanced a glance at Ed. His face was stoic, impassive, disbelieving.

"You really think this boy is your son?" he asked.

Edward's tone turned hard when he answered. "No, we know he is. DNA tests proved it conclusively. Not that we needed them. Take any picture of me at ten, and you have Ryan."

Ed's shoulders sagged, and he stared at the hard table top. "How did this happen?" he whispered.

"What are you going to do?" Elizabeth asked us. "How can we help?"

The words were like acid on my tongue, and it was all I could do to hold them in. I wanted to tell her that she could have helped us both by not forcing us to deal with our pain alone. That if she truly cared, she wouldn't have kept Edward away from me and taken away the only motherly figure I'd ever known when I needed it the most. I carefully pulled my hands back from her and stared at them as they rested in my lap.

As if he knew exactly what was going through my head, Edward looped his arm over my shoulders and bent his head to my ear so that only I could hear him. "You're allowed to tell them how you feel, you know. Get it out if you need to. I'll still love you when you've said your peace."

I gave him a smile, and he shrugged. The Masens, however, were spared my ire at that moment by Norma bringing our orders to the table. I wasn't so hungry anymore, but I needed something to keep my mind off of things. Silence reigned as we gathered our thoughts and ate. My pique started to subside.

Then, Elizabeth stepped right back into the minefield. "How are your parents dealing with all of this, Bella? Obviously, your father has been involved in it, case-wise, but you haven't mentioned your mom?"

I stared at her in disbelief. "Really, Elizabeth?" I barely recognized my own voice. "My mother? She wasn't involved in my pregnancy at all because, in her words, she was 'too young to be a grandmother.' We didn't speak about it then, and we don't speak about it now. It's easier for her to pretend it never happened."

To her credit, she looked shocked. "Oh, I, uh, well, after everything, I thought she'd want to know. She came to town after . . . wards, right?"

My answering laugh was borderline hysterical. "What in God's name gave you that idea? No, she didn't come into town. She was running around after her new husband and was much too busy to comfort her grieving child. Besides, doing so would mean having to admit that I'd been pregnant in the first place! You, the only mother figure I'd ever had, just left without a word. Left me to cry and try to pick up the pieces of my shattered life with my emotionally stunted father and a therapist that couldn't have given two shits less about me as a person!"

Until the words came tumbling out of my mouth, I hadn't realized how much resentment was still bottled up inside me. My hands instantly flew to cover my mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that." I shoved against Edward to let me out of the booth, and he slid out easily. His eyes caught mine, asking silently if I wanted him to come with me, but I shook my head and ran. Several people sitting near us stared at me like I was crazy, and I supposed I could have actually looked and sounded that way at the moment.

The dingy diner bathroom hadn't changed in the intervening years. The mirror was little more than a rudimentary reflective surface, and water still trickled out of the broken faucet. I turned the tap to increase the flow and splashed some of the cold water over my face, washing away the angry tears I hadn't even felt falling. At that moment, I was grateful for my habit of not wearing make-up except on the most important of occasions. It was saving me from the inevitable raccoon eyes.

Through the haze and scratches on the mirror, I could see the strong woman I had become staring back at me. That woman wouldn't hide here in the bathroom. I wiped off the remnants of the water and strode back out the door.

"I need to go to her," Elizabeth was protesting. "She needs me."

"Leave her be for a minute, Mother. She's just embarrassed. If she's not back soon, I'll go check on her," Edward argued.

I stopped just out of sight so that I could hear their conversation without being seen.

Elizabeth socked Ed on the arm. "How could we have done that? We just left her here all on her own without another thought." She was still crying.

"And you have to be prepared for the fact that she might not forgive you for it," Edward told her seriously. "Bella's had to deal with so much on her own because of your decisions."

"But you've told her, right? Why we did what we did?" Elizabeth practically begged.

Edward scoffed. "How could I when I still don't understand your reasons?"

"We thought we were giving you a better life, one free of this town. Even though the baby was gone, Bella was going to cling to you and keep you from achieving all you could. We wanted what was best for you," Ed said. "Now, you're wrapped back up in her drama."

I could see Edward shake his head. "Her drama? In case you don't remember, it takes two to make a baby. I am just as involved in this drama as she is." Then he sighed. "You still don't get it. I love Bella. I always have, and I always will. I almost didn't come home from my first tour in Iraq because I didn't care enough about living to keep myself safe. Everything I cared about in my life was gone—because of you. Her drama? Is that all you see? She's pulled herself back out of the hell she lived in for years, got her PhD, and counsels children now. She has a stable job, a stable home, and a good life. She keeps me grounded and gave me a reason not to reenlist when my own demons got to be too much to handle again. If you can't see that, fuck you. Go home, and don't come back."

Edward stood up, grabbed my purse, threw some bills on the table to cover our portion of the meal, and strode purposefully back to the hallway where I was concealed. He raised his eyebrow and held out his hand, motioning to the back door. "I know you heard all of that."

I didn't even know where to start. "You were going to reenlist?" was the first question that popped out of my mouth.

He clasped my hand and led me out the door.

"Mmm," he hummed in assent. "I'd promised myself I wouldn't look you up, that I wouldn't interfere in the life you'd built for yourself. I wanted you to be happy; I just didn't want to see you happy with someone else. But being this close to where I believed you were, it was so hard. Being overseas in a war zone was easier. Then, I ran into you in the grocery store." We'd reached the car, and he opened the door to let me in.

"Wait! Are you really just going to leave them here?" I cast my eyes over to the window, where I could see Ed and Elizabeth arguing.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah. I'm sure they don't need us to stay and give them directions."

"Edward?" I asked again. I wasn't used to seeing this more callous side of him.

"Bella, can you honestly tell me that you want to stay and listen to that?" He gestured toward them, and I could clearly see that their discussion was getting more heated.

"No, I don't," I admitted.

"Then let's go back to the hotel. We have an early morning, and we should get some sleep. Your dad is expecting us at the station at nine."

It was kind of sad that both of us were too emotionally spent to find comfort in each other's bodies, but it was reality. My mind played Ed's words over and over again as Edward drifted off to sleep, holding me against his body. Ed hadn't just been getting Edward away from the trauma; he'd purposefully gotten him away from me, believing that I was bad for him.

Sleep did not come easily, and when it did, I was plagued with nightmares of dead babies, Dr. Gerandy, and Ed Masen telling me I was evil and to stay away from his son.

~~SD~~

When Edward's phone alarm went off the next morning, I felt as if I'd already been for a ten mile run. No part of me wanted to wake up and start the day. After all, I'd only fallen asleep a few hours before.

"Baby, you've got to get up," Edward cajoled. "If we don't get moving, we're going to be stuck drinking the station's coffee for breakfast."

Memories of the foul-smelling sludge that my father's deputies drank day in and day out made the bile rise in my throat, but it did succeed in getting me out of bed.

"Sorry," I said with a small smile when I realized Edward was already dressed and ready to go. He was in his desert camo, complete with boots and gun belt. "I didn't sleep well."

"I know, sweetheart." He kissed the top of my head. "I had to wake you a few times."

"I'm so—" I started to apologize, but Edward held up his hand to stop me.

"It's fine. I just wish I could have made them stop," he assured me. He affixed the last bit of his gear to his belt and looked at me with a sly smile. "Do I look intimidating?"

Personally, I thought he looked sexy, but I hoped Bob Gerandy didn't think so. "You look great, babe. Let me jump into the shower, and we can go."

Twenty minutes later, we were out the door and stopping for coffee at a new bakery on Main Street. The muffins smelled delectable, so I got one of those, too. I regretted eating it almost immediately, when my stomach threatened to revolt.

Dad had Dr. Gerandy handcuffed and secured in an interrogation room at the back of the station when we arrived. The man was old and feeble, so it was probably overkill, but I figured he was trying to make a point.

"Bob has already confessed to the entire crime, from choosing to sell your baby to how he pulled it off. It's all on record. He's agreed to tell you what he did and why, but keep in mind that he doesn't have to. You can ask him anything you want, but you cannot compel him to answer." This last part was with a stiff look at Edward.

"We understand," I whispered, my nerves mingling with my unease over my restless night and making me so sick I could barely talk.

Dad led us back to the room and opened the door. Inside, as Dad had said, was an old man shackled to the floor. His bound hands rested on the table. Dr. Gerandy's hair, once salt and pepper, was now completely white and sparse on the top of his head. Deep dark circles hung under his eyes, and his shoulders were bent. Sad eyes roamed our faces as we walked in front of him, and his shoulders sagged even farther.

"Charlie said you would come," he croaked, his voice hoarse from long hours of disuse.

"We have," Edward stated frankly, his bearing rigid and strong—that of a military officer interrogating a suspect. "And you are going to tell us what you know."

Gerandy nodded. "Please sit. I can't go anywhere." He laughed ruefully, indicating his chains.

Edward held out my chair for me, and I sank into it. I wanted to appear strong and confident like he was, but I just wasn't feeling it. Edward stood beside me, his bearing erect. He indicated for Gerandy to start.

Dr. Gerandy picked at his fingernails and stared at his hands. "You two were such good kids," he started. "You had your whole lives ahead of you, and everyone could see just how far you would go. Then, Bella got pregnant, and you both were ready to throw it all away. Your parents tried to tell you, Mrs. Cope tried to tell you, I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen. We all knew that you couldn't have the life you wanted with a baby involved.

"The follies of youth," he mused. "You think you know everything and that adults don't see things like they are." He shook his head.

"What made you think you knew what was best for our family?" I spat. "Just because you were old didn't mean that you had the right to make our decisions for us and that our decisions weren't thought out."

"Because you were children," he sneered. "You didn't know what those choices meant, and you couldn't. You hadn't lived enough to know."

Edward's flat palms pounded against the table. The resulting bang resounded through the room and made me cringe. "So you knew best? What gave you the right to steal our child from us?"

Dr. Gerandy's already pale face blanched. "I was trying to give all three of you a better life. A colleague of mine from medical school knew them and knew they were good people that couldn't have children of their own. He's had a good life with them. And you, you have a good military career, and Charlie's always bragging about Bella's achievements with her own therapy practice. Do you think that either of you would ever have been able to get there with a baby to take care of?" He shook his head, his face set with his own sense of rightness. "No, you wouldn't have been. You would have been stuck here in this little town, working menial jobs just to pay the bills."

He felt no remorse for what he'd done. He sat there with his justification wrapped around him like a cloak. Once we found out all about his scheme, I was going to disabuse him of the notion that he'd been justified. He was going to know just how badly we'd suffered.

"Why don't you start at the beginning and tell us how it all happened? How did you get the idea to sell our son?" I asked, finding an inner strength I didn't know I had. My voice sounded sure and powerful in my ears.

Without us on the attack, Dr. Gerandy sat back in his chair, more comfortable now. "I tried for weeks to come up with good arguments to convince you, but I'd all but given up trying after your ultrasound. Even I could see the love you felt for that baby. But your dad, Edward, he was convinced that if anyone could talk sense into you, it would be me. He told me he'd pay me five thousand dollars in cash if I could get you to put the baby up for adoption.

"I tried. So help me, I tried. You wouldn't hear any of it, though. You thought you knew best, and you told me that you were going to take care of your family. Then, about a week later, I was having dinner with my friend, and he mentioned the problem that the Cullens were having. When I mentioned that I had two young patients that could benefit from adoption, he said that perhaps the financial benefits would interest you."

He picked at his nails again. "I thought I would continue to work on you. I worked through him and secured the Cullens as the baby's adoptive parents. They paid the fee to the adoption agency, and some of that was sent through for you. The only problem was that I couldn't convince you. Then, Bella went into labor, and I made the decision to give the deserving parents a child and give you your lives back."

"Was I given anything for pain?" I asked, a sneaking suspicion taking deeper root.

"No, and I am sorry for that. I loaded the syringes I gave to Susan with a placebo. I couldn't have you unconscious for the birth, unless I did a c-section, but I didn't want you to be clear-headed. The natural pain of childbirth on your body was the best way to accomplish that," he said matter-of-factly.

Anger boiled inside me as I remembered how I had begged for relief. My hands clinched into fists, and I had to sit on them to keep from beating his face in.

"After that, I made the excuses to get you to believe Ryan was gone, and Susan took him to Oregon on my orders. She didn't know that you hadn't agreed to it," he concluded.

"How much money did you get for stealing our son?" Edward asked, his rage barely masked.

"It was more than ten thousand dollars," Dr. Gerandy whispered. My blood ran cold. "I couldn't spend it, though. It didn't seem right. I put it in an account with your name on it, Bella. I haven't touched it."

I looked at him incredulously. "Do you really think that makes it all right?" I asked. "Do you have any idea what we went through?"

His look clearly told me that he had no idea what I meant.

I stood and leaned over the table. "How would you feel if one of your children died? How would you feel if you believed for more than ten years that it was your own body that caused that death?"

He paled again, and the look of righteousness faded.

"I spent months unable to get out of bed, unless my father forced me. I didn't eat, because all I could think about was that my dead baby would never get to do so, and I didn't deserve to. My therapists urged me to see that it wasn't my fault. Dad even brought Reverend Morris from Port Angeles over to assure me that Ryan was in Heaven with God. When I finally decided to get up, it was only so that his memory would live on somewhere. Every night, I cried. In one day, I lost my son, the love of my life, and the will to live.

"It took almost four years for me to come to terms with the fact that Ryan was dead and there was nothing I could do about. I couldn't get close to anyone, because no one could understand the pain I lived with. The pain that you gave me. And to find out that it was all a lie . . ."

Edward's hand on my lower back brought me back to myself, and I took my seat. He sneered at Dr. Gerandy.

"You had such grand plans to make our lives better. Instead, I almost lost mine. My parents moved me across the country and enrolled me in West Point. I was so lost in my mind, I couldn't even protest. The physical exertion and daily routine were the only things that kept me distracted enough from the pain of breathing, so I stayed. Later, while I was deployed in Iraq, I sat on my convoy and watched an Iraqi woman chastising her little boy for playing so close to the street we were patrolling. I didn't see a foreign woman in a war zone, though; I saw Bella and Ryan. I also didn't see the gun man come around the edge of the house. He opened fire on us, and three of my men were shot. One of them was sitting right next to me. Do you know what? I jumped off the truck and ran after the bastard, not caring if he shot me or if I died. I figured that if I did, at least that way, I'd be with Ryan."

He'd never told me the details of his brush with death, and hearing them cut me deeply. I'd come so close to losing him, and I hadn't even known it.

"Instead of granting us the freedom to live our lives to the fullest, you doomed us both to years of pain and heartache. And it's not even over. Now, we have a son we can't see, who lives with other people who love him, too. For the rest of all of our lives, we'll either have to split him between us or one of us will have to live without him. That's your fault, too." Edward sneered at the old man across from us.

"You took an oath," I reminded him. "Do no harm. All you've done is hurt people. Us, Ryan, the Cullens . . . your family. You'll never see them again, outside of jail. You know that, don't you? Your grandchildren will only remember you as a criminal, and you'll die in a cell. That's your legacy."

There was nothing else we could say. This man had made the choice to lie to us and take our baby. The fact that he didn't get anything from it didn't mitigate the harm it had caused. The only thing that money would do for us now was pay for the attorney we had to hire because of his folly. I strode from the room, my anger carrying me through the hallway. Dad came up behind us and met us at the door to his office.

"I'll get the info on that account, Bella. Since it's in your name, you won't have to wait to claim it," Dad said. "If nothing else, you can invest it for Ryan."

Edward snorted. "Because that's fair compensation."

"Didn't say it was," Charlie said placatingly. "The Feds are coming to get him on Monday. He's going to make a deal with the federal prosecutor."

"He's going to avoid jail?" I screeched. There was no way I could agree to that—not after his lack of remorse or understanding that what he'd done was wrong.

Dad shook his head. "No. They are charging him with three major felonies, two of which are punishable by up to life in prison. Since he's so old, they are going to offer him twenty years in a minimum security facility, I think." Dad ran his hand up and down my arm, trying to calm the indignant and angry look on my face. "It's time to heal, Bells. He'll pay for what he did, I promise. You guys just go and see that grandson of mine."

It was still early, just after ten, so Edward and I agreed to go back to the hotel and rest until it was time to go to the Cullens' house. Between my dreams the night before and talking to Dr. Gerandy, we were both physically drained.

"I hate that bastard," Edward muttered through clenched teeth as we drove up to the hotel. "He deserves to rot in Hell."

I wanted to be the bigger person and focus on the positives—that Ryan was alive and we got to be a part of his life in some capacity—but I just didn't have it in me at the moment. I contented myself with imagining Dr. Gerandy hopping from one foot to the other on a bed of hot coals in Hell. It was comical enough that I giggled out loud.

"Sorry!" I giggled when Edward shot me a look. "I was just . . . his hair was flopping all around, and he looked so funny!" Edward's now incredulous look made me laugh even harder.

"You're picturing it, aren't you?" he realized.

"Uh-huh." I nodded, tears building in my eyes from my mirth.

Edward laughed loudly and shook his head. "It's a good thing I love you, because you, sweetheart, are nuts!" He threw open his car door and hopped out.

I followed him into our hotel room, still chuckling. We flopped down on the bed beside each other with our legs hanging off the end. It was peaceful, just being there together, letting the anger we'd felt at the station dissipate.

It didn't last long. We'd been in the room no longer than ten minutes, when a knock on our door interrupted our calm. I cast a curious glance at Edward, who groaned.

"No one other than my parents and your dad know we're here," he said, making a nasty face. "And we just left your dad."

The person on the other side knocked again. Edward pushed himself off the bed and went to open it. I heard him sigh, and I sat up, trying to look around him. It wasn't necessary. He opened the door and stepped to the side to admit his mother. She looked uncharacteristically sad and nervous. I'd never seen her so . . . unkempt, either. Even working in the garden, she was a dirty fashion plate.

Her eyes locked with mine, and if it were possible, she looked even sadder. "Bella, I . . ." she started to say, but trailed off as another knock sounded on the door Edward had just closed.

He growled, but turned the handle and admitted his father. Edward's entire being stiffened as Ed squeezed past him.

"Now isn't the best time for a visit," Edward said evenly. "We have to be at the Cullens' soon."

"I know you want to see Ryan, but your mother and I have a few things to say, too. We care about you and want to clarify a few things," Ed said, reminding Edward who was the parent.

It didn't work. If anything, Edward became more enraged and took a step closer to his father. "You care about me?" Edward said, his voice deadly calm.

"Of course we do, honey. All we've ever wanted was what was best for you," his mother pleaded.

"Does that include trying to bribe Bella's doctor to get rid of our baby?" Edward asked. He no longer bothered to conceal his disgust.

Ed recoiled.

"Edward Anthony Masen," Elizabeth gasped, shocked. "How dare you? We would never do such a thing!"

Edward let out a humorless chuckle. "Really, Mother? Because Dr. Gerandy was under the impression that my father here offered to pay him five thousand dollars to convince us to give it up."

"He said what? Oh, Edward, he—"

Edward cut her off. "I suppose he didn't tell you that part. You see, that's where Dr. Gerandy got the idea to sell Ryan. If Dad was willing to give him five grand to convince us to adopt, how much would he get for the actual baby? In case you're interested, the answer is ten grand."

Elizabeth gasped and sank against the dresser holding the television. Ed stood up to his full height, still several inches shorter than his son, and squared his shoulders.

"I did what I thought was best. Raising at child at seventeen-years-old was not what was best for you," he defended.

Edward's fist connected with Ed's jaw with a deep thud. "How dare you?" Edward seethed as his father bent and held his jaw. "After watching how much I suffered and how much this tore me apart, you still stand here and try to defend yourself. You tried to sell your own grandchild. What kind of man—father—are you?"

"Edward, it's not . . ." Ed stopped at the expression on Edward's face that clearly indicated he had no intention of hearing Ed's excuses. Ed turned to Elizabeth, who looked just as angry as Edward did. "Elizabeth . . ."

"Did you offer Bob Gerandy money to convince our children to put their child up for adoption after they'd already made their choice?" she asked, her voice as cold as steel.

"It was the wrong choice!" he shouted.

"Oh, God, you did," she whispered. "You tried to get rid of our grandson, and then you dragged Edward and me to the other side of the country under the guise of a new job and a fresh start. How long did you plan that?"

Ed didn't answer. His gaze dropped to the floor.

"I asked you a question, Ed. How long?"

"Two months," he whispered. When he tilted his face up, he looked defeated. "I approached Gerandy in March. I thought . . . I thought they might listen to him. We were his parents, and we didn't know what we were talking about, remember? He assured me he would get them to agree. I thought it would be easier for Edward not to be constantly reminded of it, so I started looking at jobs in New York. It was a conditional acceptance," he added, as if it made it better.

"And if we hadn't agreed?" Edward asked menacingly.

"Then we would have stayed here." Ed was resolute. "I wouldn't have knowingly taken you away from your child, Edward. I just didn't think you had any reason to stay with him gone. I thought it would be better for you to heal without the reminders."

"You lied to me," Elizabeth whispered. "Did you know Renee wasn't coming to be with Bella, too? You told me she was coming."

"I told Charlie that we were leaving and that he should call her," Ed said.

I scoffed. "And you thought that would do it? My parents haven't spoken over the phone since I was old enough to handle the arrangements."

"He didn't tell me that," Ed admitted. "I'm sorry, Bella. I thought you were bad for my son, that he was only with you because he had to be. That you had trapped him."

"Did you ever stop to think that you should ask me?" Edward asked. "You considered me mature enough to go into the military, but not to know who I wanted to spend my life with?"

"Kids don't understand love!" Ed exclaimed. "You were kids. No, I didn't think you were mature enough to make that decision."

"You didn't think to consult me, either?" Elizabeth asked. "I'm sorry, Ed, but all these years, I've believed that we left when we did because we had to for your job. We agreed that it would be good for Edward to be away from here. But you let me believe that Bella was taken care of, too, and she wasn't. How could you do this to our family? To our kids?"

Edward huffed. "Well, if it isn't the Masen family on Springer. Don't blame this all on Dad, Mom. I didn't speak to you for two years. Shouldn't you have figured out then that it wasn't the right move?"

"I thought you were just rebelling," she whispered. "I thought once you had some time and perspective, you'd be better. You were getting better—with Tanya. Then, you moved out here, and now we're all broken again."

"Are you blaming me for this?" Edward stared at her shock. "My father tried to sell my son, moved our family across the country two days after I'd been told he died, made me abandon Bella when she needed me the most, and when it all comes out, I'm the one that broke our family apart?"

"No, no. I just . . . can't we just forgive and move on? Be happy that Bella is back in our lives and that we have a . . . Ryan to get to know?" she asked.

Edward's voice turned hard again. "Bella and I have a Ryan to get to know."

"Are you going to keep us from him?" Ed asked, now fearful.

"You didn't want him around in the first place," Edward challenged. He let it hang there for a minute, before he continued, "That's not what I meant, though. Because Ryan's lived with the Cullens for almost ten years, it's hard enough for Bella and me to get visitation, much less everyone else." 

"What can we do?" Elizabeth offered immediately.

"I don't know," Edward told her. "Maybe we'll know more this afternoon, but for now, just . . . go."

Ed said something quietly to Edward and offered his hand, seemingly as a peace offering, but after staring at it for a second, Edward murmured something I couldn't hear and turned away. Elizabeth took a few tentative steps toward me, but let me keep my space.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. All this—" she waved her hand around "—this isn't how it should have been. Do you think you can ever forgive me for leaving you the way I did?"

Ever the peacemaker, my first urge was to tell her "yes, I forgive you," but I knew that wasn't an honest reaction. Nothing I'd heard over the last two days excused the pain they'd put me through and the additional suffering I'd had to endure being alone. I hadn't gotten over it in ten years. In the end, I nodded. "Maybe one day," I said.

She gave me a sad smile and hugged me. I remained stiff in her arms, though they felt as homey has they ever had, and patted her on the back lightly. Thankfully, she kept it brief and pulled away. She hugged Edward and pushed Ed out the door.

"Is this what we have to look forward to?" Edward groaned when the door clicked shut. "Those two are like a walking soap opera. Oh, God. Our lives have turned into a soap opera."

I laughed at him and collapsed onto the bed. "When are they going home?"

"Not soon enough," he complained. "I love them, but seriously, right now, I want nothing to do with them. Dad actually said that one day, I'd have a kid to raise, and I would understand."

I stared at him in shock. "Is that really what he said?"

"Among other things."

"What did you say?" I asked, eager to know more.

"That right now, I considered it partly his fault that I didn't. I told him I loved him, too, but that for now, it would be better if he left me alone."

My heart sank a little more. The coming months would be hard enough, but without the love and support of our families, I feared the road would be even harder. "I've said it before, Edward, and I'll say it again. I don't want you fighting with your parents over me."

He clasped my hand in his. "First of all, to me, you are worth fighting for. Second, it's not just you. Mom's different. I think she went along with his plans, like she always has, because she believed that he was acting in all of our best interests. It's not that she doesn't have a mind of her own, but usually, she defers to him. He, however, still doesn't understand what he did wrong. He's still defending indefensible actions, and I can't abide by that. At some point, he'll have to admit that he was wrong, and when he does, we'll go from there."

I gave him a smile, understanding where he was coming from. "I can live with that."

**So, what do you think now? I can't wait to read your reactions. **

**Now, for some recs. I've been remiss for a few weeks and I've been reading lots of great stories. **

**Lissa Bryan has two new stories that are wonderful; check them out!**

**Dinner Reservations by quietruby—it's now complete and quite a ride. **

**Rosebud by Arabella's—mystery and intrigue galore. **

**Glimmer Darkly by Rochelle Allison—AU and so, so good. **

**That should do it for this week. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I know, I was shocked, too. I own this. Let's keep it that way. **

**A/N: Thank you all for your responses last week! The one common theme was your disgust at Ed—can't really blame you there. This week should be a little wuss-perv friendlier. I hope you enjoy. Thank you to Jenny Cullen for betaing my mess and making it better. You rock, sister!**

**Chapter 15**

It was one fifty-three in the afternoon when Edward and I turned into the long, winding driveway that led to the Cullens' house. I had changed into a summery sun dress, while Edward was in khakis and a polo shirt. It was a far cry from the intimidating look he'd put on for Dr. Gerandy.

I wiped my hands on my dress—again—to hide the evidence of my anxiety.

Edward noticed the movement and reached over, taking my hand in his. "It'll be good," he said, though I wasn't sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.

"But what if—"

Edward cut me off. "No buts, Bella. We're doing this, and it's going to be fine."

I huffed out a breath and nodded. My nerves were still flying around in my stomach like monarchs, but as we were pulling up in front of the house, there was little I could do about it.

The Cullens' home was large. A white, covered porch stretched around the front and one side, supported by square posts looming at intervals like so many sentinels. Empty rocking chairs swayed in the light afternoon breeze. Someone had recently done some landscaping work; when I opened the car door, I could smell the fresh mulch.

Esme Cullen had the door open for us before we even made it to the front steps. "Bella, Edward, welcome to our home," she greeted us politely.

"Thank you for having us," I answered quietly.

Edward squeezed my hand gently in reassurance and gave me a small smile. I could see his nerves in the lines around his eyes, but I found there was strength in us doing this together. She showed us into the foyer and led us into a well appointed living room. A fluffy, off-white couch sat against the long wall to my right, facing a low coffee table, an oversized chair, and a love seat. The flat screen television sat on a low entertainment center in the far corner.

Dr. Cullen sat on the couch, staring out the front window. When we walked up, his gaze shifted to us, but I wasn't certain that he actually saw us.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Mrs. Cullen asked, again as polite as if we were honored dinner guests and not her son's real parents.

I gave her a grateful smile. "Some water would be wonderful, Mrs. Cullen."

"Yes, for me, too, please," Edward said. His voice sounded a little shaky.

"Of course. And please, call me Esme." She turned and walked through another doorway to what I assumed was the kitchen.

"Come on in and have a seat," Dr. Cullen invited us, motioning to the love seat across from the couch.

Edward held out his hand to the other man, and Dr. Cullen took it as the truce it was. "Thank you for having us here today, Dr. Cullen," Edward said, and there could be no denying the real emotion in his voice.

"Please, Major Masen, call me Carlisle. I have a feeling we're going to get to know each other quite well in the coming days." I could tell he wasn't happy about it, but was resigned to the fact that we were to be fixtures of some sort in his son's life.

"Edward, then."

We sat next to each, our legs touching on the edge of the loveseat as Esme returned with two glasses of ice water. She handed them to us and took a seat on the chair at the head of the room.

"Ryan should be down in a minute. He's complaining about the shirt I made him wear." She rolled her eyes, and I chuckled.

"He didn't have to dress up for us," I told her.

"Oh, well, he at least had to get dressed," she clarified. "If I'd let him, he'd stay in his pajamas and play video games on every Saturday he doesn't have practice or a game."

"Speaking of which, can you send us his game schedule?" Edward asked. "We'd like to come to as many as we can."

Esme grimaced. "Next Saturday is the last one for the season. The team didn't do well enough to go to the post season. The game is in Port Angeles, though, if you want to come."

I was getting ready to ask Esme what Ryan knew about this visit, when the boy in question came into the room, tugging at the collar of his polo shirt. He looked around the room with a questioning glance, before his eyes alighted on Carlisle. Carlisle patted the couch next to him, and Ryan sat rather stiffly.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking from Carlisle to Esme, and sneaking peeks at Edward and me in between.

"Do you remember us telling you over dinner last night that some people were coming to see you today?" Esme asked gently, attempting to ease his obvious nerves.

"Yeah . . ."

"Well, they're here. This is Major Edward Masen and Dr. Bella Swan." Esme pointed to us as she did the introductions.

I smiled at him in a way I hoped was reassuring and not scary.

It didn't seem to work. Ryan cringed toward Carlisle. "Major, like in the military? What did I do? I'll clean my room, I promise I will!" he said, panic coloring his tone.

Carlisle laid his hand on Ryan's shoulder and glared at us from behind Ryan's back. I understood what Aron had been trying to tell me about not having an unbiased third party here.

"Major Masen isn't here to take you to military school, Ryan. He's, um, well . . . remember when we talked about your family tree for your genealogy project for school last year?" Carlisle seemed to be trying a different tack.

Ryan gave him a look that clearly said "duh." Carlisle didn't continue, though. He seemed to be having trouble getting the words out of his mouth.

"What your dad's trying to say, Ryan, is that Dr. Swan and I would be the people to ask about your family history," Edward explained.

Ryan's brow furrowed. "You knew my real parents?"

"We _are_ your real parents, Ryan," I answered. I made a supreme effort to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"Oh." Ryan looked at us like we were curious animals in the zoo. "Why are you here?" he asked. "You didn't want me when I was a baby, so why do you want me now?"

My heart pounded in my chest, and it became hard to breathe properly. If he only knew.

Edward looked to Esme and Carlisle for help, but both of them remained silent. It was apparent we were getting no help from that quarter. "Who told you that we didn't want you, Ryan?" Edward finally asked, casting a stiff look at Carlisle.

Ryan shrugged. "That's why people give babies up, isn't it? Because they don't want them? That's what Jimmy said. And I heard Dad talking in his office the other day about you."

Edward's stiff look turned to red hot anger at Carlisle, and he leveled the other man with a glare, before taking a deep breath and returning his gaze to Ryan's face.

"That's not exactly right, Ryan," I answered. "Some parents put their children up for adoption because they can't care for them. In this case, though . . ." I cast about through my mind for how best to put this to a ten year old and decided that the truth was the best solution. "In this case, the doctor that delivered you stole you from us, and put you up for adoption. We wanted you, but he told us you had died."

Esme gave me an incredulous look, as if she couldn't believe that I'd told him the truth.

"They kidnapped me?" Ryan asked, looking at the Cullens.

"Not your parents, no," I assured him. "They thought they were adopting you from a teenage girl that didn't want you. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case."

Ryan took a deep breath and sagged back into the couch cushions. No one in the room spoke while he appeared deep in thought. Finally, when he did speak, it was with a sense of resignation. "Does that mean I have to come live with you now?"

I wasn't going to tell him no, since that was the outcome we were eventually hoping for, but Esme beat me to the answer. "No, honey, of course not," she said. "They want to get to know you, though. Would that be okay with you?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Ryan agreed with a shrug. Now that he had been assured that he wasn't going to be dragged from his home, he seemed more comfortable with us being there. "You wanna see my room?"

Edward and I stood up so fast from the love seat that one would have thought there was an ejector seat in the cushions. "We'd love to," Edward answered.

Ryan heaved himself off the couch and motioned for us to follow him. His room was at the top of the stairs on the second floor. "I wanted to do my room in _Star__Wars_, but Mom wouldn't let me," he told us as he opened the door.

A dark blue bedspread covered Ryan's bed. The floors were bare wood, but a rug with varying shades of blue covered much of it.

"I always wanted a _Star__Wars_ room, too," I heard Edward tell Ryan. "My dad tried to convince my mom that we could make it look like Tatooine, but she wouldn't go for it. I think she was afraid we'd put sand on the floor."

"See!" Ryan exclaimed. "That would be cool, right? She got me the sheets." He pulled back the blue comforter to reveal some sheets with what looked like animated characters.

"Those are awesome! Bella, can I have some of those?" Edward asked, turning to me with a wide smile on his face.

"Sure," I answered. "I won't mind sleeping with Anakin every night."

"On second thought," Edward said, his face pinching with distaste.

Ryan laughed at us. "It's okay, you can borrow mine," he offered. "We could build a fort or go camping or something. I have a sleeping bag, too. I bet you know how to do that stuff."

Edward chuckled. "Yeah, I'm pretty good at that stuff."

"I haven't had time to get everything out yet," Ryan told us. "It's kind of bare in here."

I glanced around and saw a Dodgers poster and what looked like some type of pennant with their logo on it. "You're a Dodgers fan?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Dad used to take me to the games sometimes, but they suck. I like the Mariners better."

"Good choice, kid," Edward approved. His fingers drifted over the few things on Ryan's desk, which was on the wall by the door. An iPod with headphones still attached was haphazardly thrown down. A couple of pictures with Carlisle and Esme were positioned in their frames; I couldn't look at those—they made my heart hurt. A few books by Rick Riordan were stacked on the edge, the top one with a bookmark sticking out.

"Did you guys grow up around here?" Ryan asked as he ran his hand over the empty shelf of the bookcase.

"I did," Edward answered. "Played ball on the same field you do. She moved here when we were in high school."

Ryan's face lit up. "Cool! You'll have to come see me sometime. I play short stop."

"We know," I told him with a grin. "We came to your game a couple of weeks ago. You're really good."

"Thanks! Our last game is next weekend in Port Angeles. I don't know if you live close, but maybe you could come?" He sounded so hopeful.

Edward's expression was wistful and tender when he answered. "We wouldn't miss it, buddy. Not for the world. We live in Seattle, so it's not that far."

That answer seemed to please him, but conversation stalled. Ryan seemed to want to say something else, but he hesitated several times. I was about to ask him about school and his other hobbies, when he finally spoke.

"So, what happened to the guy that stole me?" he asked quietly.

I sat down on the edge of his bed. "He's in jail now."

"He can't take anyone else's kid?" he asked, as if that was his primary concern.

Edward shook his head. "No, he can't. He was the doctor here before your . . . dad. As far as we can tell, you are the only kid he ever took."

"How did you find me?" Ryan asked in a small voice.

"Really good luck?" I answered, trying to sound upbeat. "We were in town for our high school reunion, and I saw you get out of Dr. Cullen's car at the park."

"Do you have any other kids?" Ryan asked. As an only child myself, I knew how much the answer to this question could mean to him.

"Not yet," Edward answered. "We hope to have more someday, though. Would you like to have a brother or sister?"

Ryan pondered that for a minute. "Yeah, I think that would be cool. I tried to convince Mom and Dad to adopt another kid for me to play with after they told me I was adopted, but they never did. I'm the only one they have."

"No matter what, Ryan, they will always be an important part of your life," I promised. Even if we were successful in our bid to get full custody, I didn't think I had it in me to take him away from them. They had loved him for so long, and it was clear that he loved them, too.

"Okay." He seemed satisfied with that for now, but I suspected we'd hear more on the subject. Ryan held up his glove and a ball. "Hey, um . . . what do I call you?"

Edward and I burst out laughing, and Ryan joined in. The emotion and the tension had all built to that one innocent question, and with it, the dam burst. We couldn't have scripted this for Hollywood better if we'd tried.

"Whatever you want to, buddy," Edward said. "For now, you can call us Edward and Bella until you figure it out."

"Okay, cool. So, Edward, you wanna play ball in the back yard?" Ryan asked, waving the glove in front of Edward.

"Absolutely."

The three of us tromped back down the stairs. Ryan went through the kitchen where Esme and Carlisle sat, clearly anxious.

"Hey, Dad, can Edward borrow your glove? He's gonna throw with me," Ryan said, his excitement palpable.

"Sure, Ryan." Carlisle rose from the table and went to a bench near the back door. After digging around in it for a minute, he produced a large ball mitt and handed it over to Edward.

Edward folded the stiff leather a few times to loosen it up and winced slightly as he tugged it on.

"He doesn't use it very often," Ryan informed Edward. "He's not very good. I keep telling him that if would practice with me more, he'd get better, but baseball's not really his sport."

I could see Edward fighting a laugh. "It's not? What is his sport? Maybe we can all do something together?"

Ryan wrinkled his nose. "Doctoring? I don't know. It's not basketball, either. He sucks at that, too."

All four adults started laughing, and Dr. Cullen shook his head. "Well, at least I'm good for something—doctoring."

Ryan shrugged happily and opened the back door. He grabbed Edward's non-gloved hand and dragged him along.

Esme smiled at me. There was a touch of sadness to it, but I understood. "I made lemonade," she said. "Why don't we take it and sit on the porch so we can watch them?"

I nodded and picked up three of the glasses of ice she'd set out. Dr. Cullen's phone rang, and he left the room to answer it, so Esme took the pitcher and the one remaining glass and led me through the house to the front porch.

My boys were standing a few yards apart, lobbing the baseball back and forth. They were close enough to still be able to talk, but far apart enough to make it a challenge. Occasionally, Edward would stop him and make a correction on how and where he held his glove.

"This will be good for him," Esme said wistfully from the seat next to me. "I've been so afraid of losing him that I lost sight of what was best for him. He's happy."

I was about to respond, when Ryan's voice floated up to me on the porch. My mouth snapped shut as I listened to his conversation.

"So, you're in the Army?" Ryan asked Edward.

Edward nodded. "I'm in the Reserves now. I went off active duty about a year ago."

"Did you ever go to war?"

"Three times," Edward answered. "Two in Iraq, and one in Afganistan."

"Cool." Ryan grinned. "And Bella, she's a doctor like Dad, right?"

"Not exactly," Edward hedged. "Bella is . . . like a doctor for feelings. She talks to kids that are having problems and tries to help them get better."

Ryan stared at him for a second and held the ball. "Like my counselor at school?" He finally threw the ball.

"Something like that," Edward agreed.

"Why do you have different names?" Ryan was playing twenty questions.

"What do you mean?" Edward asked, his brow furrowing again.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Like your name is Masen, and hers is Swan, right? Most of the time when people get married, they have the same name."

Edward chuckled. "Well, we aren't married yet."

Ryan gave him a disbelieving look. "You've been together a long time. You need to get on that. Girls like to get married."

Edward laughed. "I'll work on that." He winked at me. "You think she'd say yes?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'm ten, so I know you've known her a long time. What's the hold up?" Ryan badgered.

I snickered. Esme looked like she was about to reprimand Ryan, but I stopped her with my hand on her arm. "No, don't. It's fun to see him squirm."

She giggled and nodded.

Edward tossed the ball in one hand, up and down. "Ah, well, we didn't talk for a long time, Ry. We haven't been together for _that_ long." He tossed the ball high to Ryan, who covered his face with the glove and missed it. "Hang on." Edward moved closer to Ryan and lowered his voice. We could see him showing Ryan how to better hold the glove for pop flies so it didn't take out his teeth or cover his eyes.

"Tia, our attorney, got us a copy of Bob Gerandy's testimony," Esme said to me quietly, her eyes never leaving Ryan and Edward. "I . . . there are no words to express how sorry I am for what he did to you."

"We went to see him this morning," I told her. "He told us everything. There's an account somewhere with money in it in my name. Apparently, he felt guilty enough that he didn't spend it. I think we're going to invest it for Ryan."

"Did he really deny you pain medication?" she asked.

"He said he was giving it to me at the time, but there was nothing in there. That's what he said this morning—that he planned for me to be in so much pain, I wouldn't remember." I took a drink of my lemonade and watched my son and his father interact. Their mannerisms were so similar at times that it took my breath away, even more than just seeing Ryan alive did.

"That's just . . . that's horrible," she said, her voice tight. "When I had the last miscarriage, the baby was too far along, so they induced me. Even with the medication they gave me, it was awful. I cannot imagine doing it without."

"Yeah, I don't think I'll do it that way next time," I admitted with a small laugh. "The more drugs, the better."

"How do we want to do this?" she asked me, her eyes following Ryan as he chased after the ball.

I was momentarily stunned. "Sh-Should we get Carlisle and Edward for this?"

She shook her head. "I figured we could work something out, mother to mother, and tell them later. Carlisle can be a hot head, and well, we don't need that right now." She turned to me. "I know the lawyers have more to say, but if we can work out some sort of visitation schedule without them, I'd rather do it that way."

After thinking about it for a second, I figured that it couldn't hurt. If Aron didn't like what we came up with, it wasn't binding. "There's only one weekend a month that Edward definitely isn't available—it's his Reserve weekend. If we can work around that, that would be good."

"Two weekends a month, maybe in addition to any special events—I'll email you those," she offered. "And for now, I'd still like it to be supervised, or at least here locally. I know your dad is the Chief of Police, so you're not going to kidnap him or anything. It's just . . . he's my son, and I don't know you that well yet."

I wanted to protest, but it was a reasonable request. I wouldn't want to hand him over to people I didn't know, either, and though we were his biological parents, we were still, for all intents and purposes, strangers. "For now," I agreed hesitantly. "I know that we would like it if he came to stay with us in Seattle occasionally."

"Do you live together?" she asked, curious.

I bit my lip. "We're in the process of looking for a place together, but we still have separate apartments. Not that we spend a lot of time apart."

"It's easy to see how much you love each other," she said. "You're very lucky."

"Yes," I mused, "we are."

"How about this," she posited. "Email me your schedules, and we'll work out some visitations around those. With school out for the summer already, at least for Ryan, there won't be anything related to that yet, and baseball ends next weekend. Oh, and his birthday."

For the first time ever, Ryan's birthday filled me with excitement, instead of dread.

"You have to come down for that," she continued. "I think we're going to do a pizza party after the game in Port Angeles for his friends, and then have family come back to the house for a cook-out later."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," I told her. "Is there anything in particular he'd like?" It felt a little weird to be asking, but other than the small glimpse into his room, I had no idea.

She groaned. "_Star__Wars_ stuff, a new baseball helmet or bat . . . he needs new clothes," she added as an after-thought. "He shot up about three inches right before we left L.A. His shorts still fit, sort of, but his pants are all high waters now. He likes those silly t-shirts, too. You know, the ones that have cartoons and slogans on them. I would get him size twelve to be on the safe side. I know he's going to grow again soon with the way he eats," she laughed.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

She looked at me as if she understood the emotion in my voice, and simply said, "You're welcome."

"Mom, Mom," Ryan shouted as he ran up the stairs and broke the moment. "Can Edward and Bella stay for dinner? I already invited them."

Over his shoulder, Edward held out his hands with a look of "what was I supposed to do?" I just laughed.

"If it's all right with them, of course, darling. They have a long drive back to Seattle," Esme reminded him.

"Oh." He sounded so disappointed.

My eyes shot to Edward's quickly, and he nodded. "It's okay, buddy," I told him. "We aren't leaving until tomorrow."

"Yes!" Ryan shouted, doing a little dance on the porch. "We have time for _Mario__Kart_, then. Come on, Bella. I bet I can beat you."

Ryan tugged me behind him into the living room, where he handed me a Wii controller and wheel. Then, for the next forty-five minutes, he proceeded to kick my butt, while Edward laughed at me. I won one race.

"You just need practice," Ryan informed me when I groaned in frustration after losing . . . again.

"Yeah, well, I bet I can beat you at Scrabble," I muttered.

Both Ryan and Edward laughed at me together. "We could try bowling. Is she any good at bowling?" Ryan asked Edward.

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "No, but it's fun to watch."

I hit him on the arm.

"Not now, Ryan," Esme said from the doorway. "Dinner's ready."

I gasped. "Already? You should have told me; I would've helped."

"Nonsense," Esme said sweetly. "Today, you're a guest." She motioned for us to follow her into the dining room, where Carlisle already sat at the head of the table. Ryan took his usual place next to him and tugged me into the chair beside him. Edward sat across from me, leaving the other chair next to Carlisle empty for Esme.

Carlisle was smiling pleasantly, but his shoulders and manner were stiff. I wondered if he felt replaced with Edward here. Esme and I could find common ground, both loving the same boy and doting on him as mothers do, but men were different. I hoped that macho displays and a desire to be the number one man in Ryan's life didn't cause problems later.

Esme brought out a large platter of herb roasted chicken breasts, some wild rice, and a bowl of green beans, before returning a final time with a pitcher of water and one of tea.

"Bon appétit," she said merrily, taking her seat and starting to dish out the food.

For several minutes, the only sound was the clinking of the metal spoons against the ceramic of the Corningware. Then, Ryan decided to fill Carlisle in on what we'd done all afternoon. To his credit, Carlisle listened intently.

"What will Ryan be doing this summer?" I asked Esme during a lull in his narrative. "Will he stay home with you?"

She shook her head. "When we lived in L.A., he had a group of close friends and the kids kind of alternated spending the days at each other's houses during the summer. Since he doesn't know anyone that well here yet, other than the kids on the team, I took the advice of one of the other moms and enrolled him in this day camp program the community center sponsors. Every day, for about six hours, the kids do projects, crafts, and games with other kids their age downtown. I thought it would be a good way for Ryan to meet the other kids that will be in his class."

"Craig Shiffer and Michael Marks are going, too," Ryan said through a mouthful of food. "They're on my team."

"Manners, Ryan," Esme admonished. "Don't talk with food in your mouth." She shot me a look that clearly said "see what you have to look forward to?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said kind of glumly after having been chastised in front of us.

The adults used dinner as an occasion to get to know each other, too. With Ryan in both of our lives, it seemed that we all realized it would be better to know each other and to work together to keep him from getting hurt. By the time, Esme served dessert—individual chocolate lava cakes—we were all talking like old acquaintances.

It was almost nine o'clock when we moved to leave. Ryan had to get ready for bed, and we had our own long day ahead of us the next day.

Before he went upstairs, Ryan ran over and caught me in a huge hug. "When will I see you again?" he mumbled against my shirt.

I held him tightly, closing my eyes at the feeling of having my not-so-little boy in my arms for the first time. "We'll be here next weekend, Ry," I whispered as I tried desperately not to cry.

"Promise?" he asked, pulling back and searching my face.

"I promise."

He gave Edward a hug of his own that practically melted him where he stood, before clomping up the stairs like a herd of elephants.

"I'll email you this week," Esme said. She held the paper I'd written our phone numbers and email addresses on tightly in her hand.

"Thank you . . . for everything," I said sincerely, giving her a hug of my own.

Edward and Carlisle shook hands, and then Edward took my hand and led me to the car. For the first time in almost eleven years, all felt right in my world for that one minute.

**I firmly believe that children are a lot stronger and more resilient than we ever give them credit for, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on Ryan's reaction. **

**As a reminder, I'll be doing an outtake for Fandom Against Juvenile Diabetes. My husband has Type I diabetes, so this cause is close to my heart. Now that we are further along, I'd love to know what kind of outtake you'd like. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Sigh. Really? Don't you know this by now? It's fanfiction, folks and all original copyrights belong to their owners. This plot is mine. Capiche?**

**A/N: Welcome to all of my new readers this week. I'd love to hear from you so I know how you found me. As for all those who've stuck with me . . . THANK YOU! Thank you also to Jenny Cullen, the mac daddy beta. She makes it readable week after week. More below, so enjoy. **

**Chapter 16**

The next week flew by as Edward and I raced to get everything done so we could go back to Forks for Ryan's birthday. For both of us, the weeks surrounding his birth had always been times of reflection and sadness, so both Jasper and Alice immediately registered the changes. Always up for any excuse to shop, even for a fashion challenged ten-year-old boy, Alice took to the task with fervor.

On Monday evening, the real estate agent called with a list of properties. Edward threw the phone on speaker while we made dinner, and we listened to her rattle off the specifications on the first one.

"Maggie, let me stop you there," Edward said once she'd finally let him speak. "There have been a few changes. First, drop all the condos. We need a house with a yard—a big one. Second, we can't look at anything with less than four bedrooms."

"Uh, oh, okay," Maggie stuttered. "That's . . . quite a departure from what I have here."

"Well, our needs have changed over the last couple of weeks. We need somewhere appropriate for children, preferably with parks nearby, but that's not a requirement," he said.

"May I assume then that the better school systems are also a priority?" she asked, her business-like demeanor returning.

Edward faced me and grimaced. We hadn't talked about that part. If Ryan came to live with us, that would be a concern, but since it wasn't likely to be long term, schools weren't going to matter for another five or six years, at least.

"Um, decent schools would be nice?" It sounded like a question when Edward said it.

Maggie laughed. "Got it. Give me a couple of days, then. Only one of these that I have is going to fit the bill, and I know some of my colleagues have houses they are looking to move."

I liked realtor speak for "willing to sell cheap." Edward laughed and threw a tomato at me when I said so.

The next night, the boys left Ben in charge at the office and met Alice and me for a quick dinner before we hit Target. Jasper and Alice did fit together well, and even Edward had mentioned that he'd changed considerably since meeting her. For one, he didn't go out alone anymore.

Edward was convinced that every boy needed a Millennium Falcon. The fact that he found one made of Legos was even better in his book. I balked at the price of it, as well as of the Lego Death Star he picked up. He swiftly reminded me that we hadn't had a chance to get Ryan anything for ten years, and he was determined to spoil our son this year, at least.

And we did. The cart was full by the time we left. We got him both Star Wars Lego sets, eight t-shirts, five pairs of shorts, and three pairs of jeans. Alice and Jasper decided to just send a card with us with an iTunes gift card inside, so as not to overwhelm him.

On Wednesday, I called Charlie.

"Hey, kid," he answered on the third ring, as was his custom.

"Hey, Dad. I heard from Esme Cullen this week, and she said to invite you to Ryan's birthday party on Saturday. It's going to be at their house around four."

He growled into the receiver. "You've got to be kidding me. Agent Majors called an hour ago and 'requested' my presence in Seattle this weekend. Apparently, the Justice Department is trying to renege on the deal they promised Bob Gerandy. He said something about many kidnappers getting caught for one case, and if they let him off, it could be used as precedence."

"They want to throw the book at him?" I asked, shocked. I wanted the man punished as much as the next guy, but he was in his mid-seventies and not in great health.

"So it seems. Anyway, they want me there."

"I'm sure you can take him out for ice cream or something later, Dad. He does live less than a mile away," I teased.

"Yeah, yeah. All right, kid. Thanks for letting me know. I had forgotten it was that time already." And it seemed my dad had noticed my moodiness, too. Lovely.

We hung up a few minutes later with promises that we'd meet for lunch on Friday if he could get away from the Feds.

Later that evening, Edward's phone rang just as we were sitting down to dinner. Alice was out on another date with Jasper, so we were alone again. He frowned at the number and showed it to me, but I didn't recognize it. It was from somewhere near Forks.

"Hello?" he answered, pushing the button to put it on speaker.

"Um, Edward, this is R-Ryan. Mom gave me your number. I hope you don't mind."

I dropped my fork. Edward's eyes widened, and it took him a second to respond. "No, not at all, Ryan. You can call me anytime you want to. What's going on?"

"Well, do you remember that camp Mom told you about last weekend?"

"Yes . . ."

"Oh, uh, maybe you should get Bella, too. I should've called . . ."

"It's all right, buddy. She's right here with me. So, what's with the camp?"

"Hi, Bella. Right, camp. They want us to do this family project with pictures of us as babies and stuff. The teacher said that we should include pictures of our parents as kids, too, if we could get them. Do you think . . . I mean, do you have pictures of you and Bella when you were little that I could borrow?" He stumbled through his explanation like he was afraid we would say no.

I was doing my best to hold back tears.

"Our baby pictures?" Edward asked, blowing out a huge breath.

"Well, yeah, I've already got some of Mom and Dad, but I wanted to include you, too, since you're my real parents. If you don't want me to . . ."

"Of course you can!" I interjected.

"Yeah, of course. I just have to figure out where mine are," Edward laughed. "I'll have to call my mom and have her email them to me. Can I forward them to your mom's email account?"

"That would be good. Can you email me yours, too, Bella?"

My heart sank. Renee could barely keep track of me, much less my baby pictures. Most of them had gotten left behind when we moved from San Francisco to Utah one summer when I was about Ryan's age. "I don't know if I have any, but I'll see what I can come up with."

Edward's eyes gleamed. "Actually, Ryan, I know where there are lots of baby pictures of your mom. Her dad used to show them to me all the time when I would come over to take her out and she wasn't ready."

"That's mean!" he laughed.

"That's your grandpa. Anyway, he lives right there in Forks, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you dropped by to see him tonight or tomorrow," Edward told him. I'd shared our earlier conversation with him, and it seemed he was scheming to get them together sooner than I was.

"Okay. Well, I'm not allowed to just talk to strangers . . ." Ryan said, hesitating again.

"But you are allowed to talk to policeman, right?" Edward said with a smirk I was sure Ryan could hear through the phone.

"Bella's dad's a policeman?" He sounded pumped.

"The Chief of Police," Edward said knowingly.

"Cool." Ryan stretched it into three syllables. "Maybe my mom or dad would take me over there. Is he still at the station this late?"

I checked the time on the microwave. "No, he's probably home now, watching the Mariners' game. Your dad knows where he lives, though. Your grandpa won't mind at all."

"Thanks, Bella! Um, I'll see you on Saturday, right?"

"Yes, you will." Edward said, smiling at Ryan's eagerness.

"Bye!" Ryan hung up without waiting for us to respond.

Edward didn't bother to hide his smirk this time. "I give it less than hour before we get a phone call."

"That long?" I laughed.

"Well, you've got to give the kid time to arrange transportation. Let me call Mom real quick and have her email mine over. Otherwise, I'll forget," Edward said as he dialed the phone.

I filled my mouth with a bite of lasagna to keep myself quiet.

Elizabeth was more than willing to send the pictures, and she promised to do so as soon as she returned home from the grocery. Luckily, she was alone, and neither Edward nor I had to endure listening to his dad again, even if it was through the phone.

Edward reheated his food and ate quickly. He had more work to do that evening.

"Edward," I called as he headed into the other room to boot up his computer.

"Yeah, baby?"

"I was going over the schedule that Esme sent, and it looks like next weekend should be our weekend with Ryan, since we aren't counting special events, like his birthday. That, and the following weekend, you'll be out of town. Will you be able to swing that?" I leaned against the door frame between the kitchen and the living room.

Edward grimaced. "Yeah, I'll figure something out. I can't keep sticking Jazz with all the weekend shifts, though. This puts me out for the next month, at least. I might have to do a few overnights, if we've got them, to make up for it."

I nodded. "Just talk to Jazz, okay? I don't know how long it's going to be before we can have Ryan here instead of having to spend the weekends in Forks."

Edward groaned. "I know. I think we're going to go broke from the gas."

"Hey, at least we don't have to feed him all the time," I joked, knowing that I would love to have that problem. "Did you see how much that kid eats?"

Edward laughed. "I know. He comes by it honestly, though."

The blue light from his screen cast an odd pall over Edward's face, and I knew that I had already lost him to the cyber world. I was content, though, to spend the night reading beside him.

Thursday flew by, and before I knew it, Alice and I were heading back over to Angela's for a girls' night in, while all three guys worked late. Angela and Ben had hit it off in their shy way and were talking on the phone quite frequently, though they hadn't been out on a date yet. Angela ordered in Chinese, and we sat around her table gossiping and catching up.

My phone rang just after six.

"Hey, Dad," I answered with a smirk.

"That boy . . . I'm telling you, Bells, he could be one of the sweetest kids I've ever met," Dad declared.

"He is a pretty good kid, isn't he?" I said with pride, although I'd had nothing to do with it.

"Carlisle brought him down to the station around lunch time today, and he said you and Edward had told him to come to me for baby pictures of you. I'm not sure which one of you I should thank, but man, it was good to see him." Charlie wasn't an overly emotional man, so to be able to hear it in his voice stunned me. I knew how he felt, though.

"Edward remembered you showing my pictures to him when we started dating," I told him. The girls' stares were boring into me from around the table.

"Ah! Well, he remembered them, at least. Useful now, right? I just wanted to say thanks. It was good to meet him and have him know who I am. Told him to call me Charlie for now, if that's okay."

"That's fine. He's calling us Edward and Bella until he figures out what to call us on his own. Are you still coming up tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure am. I'll call you when I figure out what we're doing. Thanks again, kid."

"You're welcome, Dad."

I smiled when he hung up with his signature gruffness and met the eyes of my friends. I explained to them how we'd arranged for Charlie to meet Ryan. Angela teared up when I told them all about the Saturday we'd gotten to spend with them. Her quiet presence had kept me sane right after we'd lost him, and I was grateful that she could share in the joy, too.

Angela had settled into the library and had started several new programs designed to get all members of the community involved. She was also running a used book drive. Those that the various branches of the library already had plenty of, they would sell to help raise funds for more programs. Not only was she benefitting the community, she'd found ways to offset the cost from the city's budget, and the library board was thrilled.

The sales in Alice's shop had increased three fold since Angel had been kicked to the curb. The two new interns both had an eye for fashion and were well connected over at the college. Again, they were mostly kids with more of their parents' money than sense, but who was I to judge?

Our party broke up later than usual, considering that we all had to work the next day. Alice followed me back to our apartment. There wasn't much talking to be done, as we were both exhausted, so we simply wished each other a goodnight and retreated to our own rooms.

Thursday blurred into Friday without much fanfare. None of my patients tried to destroy the furniture—a win in my book. Dad called early and made arrangements to meet me for lunch at a little deli near the office. The FBI headquarters weren't far away, and by the time we met, he'd already been in meetings for several hours.

"They're going to take it to trial, Bells," he told me over sub sandwiches and homemade chips. "They told him that the plea deal was off the table."

"Can they do that?" I asked, incredulous. I always thought that once a plea was offered and accepted, it couldn't be taken away.

"New evidence. He never told the prosecutor about the money he accepted. It doesn't matter that he didn't spend it," Charlie explained. "It adds another charge to the crime. Essentially, he also stole ten thousand dollars from you, since he didn't tell you about the account until his crimes were exposed."

As much as I wanted him to pay for what he did, I didn't want to expose Ryan to the media circus that a trial of this nature was sure to be. "Is there any way to keep Ryan out of it?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I doubt it, Bella. I'll do what I can, but locally, this case is going to be big news." He ate for another moment, and then swallowed and grinned. "On a brighter note, I got a little something for Ryan's birthday."

He slid an envelope across the table, and I opened the flap. Inside were three tickets to the Mariners' home game next weekend.

"Dad!" I gasped. "This is . . ."

"I thought it would be nice for Edward, Ryan, and me to go together, if the Cullens will let him come. I might have pulled a few strings, so they should be pretty good seats. He said the other night that he likes them." Dad's face flushed as if he was embarrassed, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sure he'll love them. Wow. We should, uh, stop and get a card on the way back to put them in," I suggested. I wanted there to be no doubt as to who they came from. Ryan wasn't going to forget this birthday in a hurry.

A few minutes later, once both of our sandwiches were gone, Dad brushed off his hands and disposed of our baskets. He followed me into a little souvenir shop that sold overpriced cards and picked the only one that looked even remotely kid-friendly. Five dollars later, he scribbled a short message, tucked the tickets inside, and licked the flap closed. I secured it in my purse to give to Ryan the next day.

Edward met me at my apartment at six, and we drove off once again to Forks. Sam had a room ready for us when we arrived.

"I'm going to have to start a frequent stayer program for the two of you," he joked, as he handed over our keys. "Three more stays, and you get a night free."

"I think we'll hold you to that," Edward said with a smile. "You'll be seeing a lot of us."

The room looked just like we'd left it, only cleaner. Edward set our bags down by the door and wrapped his hands around my waist. I snuggled my face into his chest, only to have him pull back. When I tilted my head up to ask what was wrong, his lips met mine in a searing kiss. I felt it all the way to my toes.

"I want you," he murmured against my skin as he trailed kisses down my neck. He knew it always turned me until a gooey ball of need.

I'm pretty sure my answer wasn't in any intelligible language. My fingers drifted from around his neck to the buttons on his shirt, which fell open under my fingertips. He shrugged it off, one arm at a time, while using the other arm to lift my t-shirt over my head.

I never understood what was so sexy about watching Edward take off his undershirts, other than the fact that he was revealing his ridiculously sexy body at the same time. But seeing both of his arms grasp the back of his shirt and pull it over his head made me swoon every time.

His gaze was almost feral as he looked me up and down, and though I was still wearing a bra and my jeans, I felt stripped naked. I was frozen, captured in his green eyes. His hand reached behind me and nimbly relieved me of my bra. Then, his fingers popped the button on my jeans. His eyes got wilder as my black lace boy shorts were revealed, and all I could think was, "He's going to eat me alive." It made me shiver in a good way.

I moved backward, leading him toward the bed, as I stepped out of my jeans. He shoved his own down over his hips, leaving only his black boxer briefs, which left little to the imagination.

"This isn't going to be slow and gentle, sweetheart," he whispered in my ear. "I need you. Now."

My legs hit the edge of the bed, and I scooted up onto it as quickly as I could. I needed him just as much he needed me; I wasn't willing to wait any longer.

Edward knelt between my spread knees, bent over, and kissed me hard. Without warning, his hips bucked forward, and he slid into me easily, powerfully.

A moan escaped my lips as he filled me. Nothing ever felt so good as when Edward and I were joined like this, no matter if we were making love slow and sweet or fucking fast and hard, like we were now. Edward set a relentless pace, driving me higher and higher and banishing all thought from my head.

"Feels so . . . fucking good, baby," he grunted, never slowing.

One hand held his body above mine, and the other sneaked down to where we were joined. The instant his fingers brushed over my clit, bolts of electricity jolted through my body, and I cried out again in pleasure.

"Come for me, baby, please," he begged. The strain around his eyes showed how hard he was holding back.

He pressed his fingers down again as he thrust with his hips, and I exploded. White spots of light flickered in my vision as the free fall began. I had barely hit the bottom, when Edward sat upright on his knees, jerked and stilled, his own head thrown back in ecstasy.

There was no vision as stunning as Edward coming. His body was rigid, and all of his muscles were tensed, while his face was relaxed and blissful, a state I rarely saw outside his sleep. Lazily, his eyes opened and found mine, a sweet, crooked smile overtaking his features. He leaned forward and kissed me softly.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips.

"Love you, too," I mumbled, still feeling boneless and sleepily relaxed.

Edward rolled to my side and off the bed, slipping out of me as he went. Seconds later, he returned with one of the hand towels, lightly moistened, from the bathroom. After he cleaned me up, he threw the towel in the floor and lay back down beside me.

"That was . . . sorry I attacked you by the door like that," he said with an embarrassed laugh.

"I'm not." I snorted. "You didn't hear me complaining, did you?"

Edward's finger traced small circles over my bare stomach, and his eyes watched each movement. I studied him, wondering where his mind was, when he spoke again.

"Our son turns ten tomorrow, and I'm not sad," he said quietly. "It's been so long since I was able to smile and enjoy this time of year."

I ran my hand through his hair, loving the feeling of his thick, silky locks as they slipped between my fingers. "Alice takes me out of town sometimes. One year, she insisted that we go on a road trip to see the world's largest ball of twine, until she realized it was in Kansas. We went to a dude ranch, instead."

Edward laughed and tried to disguise it as a cough.

"What? You can't imagine me and Alice as cowboys . . . girls, whatever?" I asked, pretending to be offended. "It was pretty funny. That was the only thing that kept me from sinking into a hole for the entire week. Alice doesn't do dirt well."

"Please tell me there are pictures of that," he chuckled. "I would pay good money to see them."

"There are," I told him. "But I know what you mean. I'm so nervous about tomorrow, though. I don't want to step on Esme's toes, but it's he's my son, too. I didn't get the chance to do his first birthday—this is my first one."

"We've missed so much," he said quietly, the sadness in his voice almost painful.

I rolled into his arms and rested against my chest. There, in the dark, we just held each other, because there was nothing else to say. We couldn't get back the time that was stolen from us. All we could do was move forward and enjoy each minute we got with our son now.

**For those of you interested in outtakes, please put me on author alert as those will start posting this week as a separate story. I'd also love to know what else you'd like to see for the Fandom Against Juvenile Diabetes compilation in January. **

**Thanks for reading, have a Merry Christmas and I'll see you on the flip side. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I am the proud owner of a new set of pots and pans and a scale. **

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the outtake—my Christmas present to you. Here's a new chapter. It's the last one for this year and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you to all who take the time to read and those who review each week. May your new year be full of blessings and cheer. **

**Thank you to Jenny Cullen for her awesome beta skills! **

**Chapter 17**

The ball park in Port Angeles was packed. Five fields, each for different age ranges, were scattered about. With two teams on each one and other teams waiting to play, it was almost impossible to pick out one group from another. I also had no idea how the players were supposed to know where to go.

"They play on the same field every time," Edward explained. "That field over there is for T-ball. That one is for fourteen and up. The other three split between softball, twelve and under, ten and under, and eight and under."

I just stared at him. "That helps us how?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "Well, we know he's not on one of those two fields, now don't we?"

A set of parents in red shirts like the ones we'd seen a few weeks before hurried from the window of the concession stand. I pointed them out to Edward, and we followed them to the far field, where the Red Devils were already on the field. The bleachers were practically full; the only space left was next to the Cullens. Esme waved at us to come up and patted the seat beside her.

"We saved it for you. The kids have to be here thirty minutes early, so all the parents are, too. It's murder to get a decent seat if you come at game time," she said, leaning over to give me a hug.

"Thanks, we'll have to remember that." My eyes scanned the field until I found Ryan throwing with another boy in the outfield. "What are the plans for after the game again?" I asked.

Esme sighed. "There's this pizza place here in Port Angeles that has terrible pizza, but an entire arcade full of games. Most of his teammates are coming and a few friends from the community center. It promises to be a zoo. Afterwards, we'll go back to the house. The rest of the family should be there around four. I wouldn't blame you one bit if you skipped the first part," she added in an undertone.

I laughed. "As . . . insane . . . as it sounds like it'll be, there's no way I'm missing it. For us, this is his first birthday party . . ." I trailed off as my emotions threatened to choke me again. And I thought I'd been doing so well this morning.

Esme patted my leg and gave me a sad smile. "When you come back to the house, I'll get out the photo albums. I know it's not the same, but at least we have that."

"That would be great." I blinked back tears and did my best to smile for her. "I'll warn you, though," I said, trying to sound more upbeat. "We went a little overboard, I think."

She laughed. "I'm sure you did! Don't feel bad. Carlisle and I do it every year—birthdays and Christmas. We always say we're going to limit ourselves to this much stuff or a certain amount, and it never happens."

Her reassurance did make me feel a little better, I had to admit. I also suspected that she'd known we would and had gone a little overboard herself so as not to be outdone by the interloping real parents. Showering Ryan with more affection and letting him know how much both sets of parents loved him was important, but competing with each other wasn't going to be the answer. It was something I feared we would eventually have to discuss.

Once the game started, all my worries about how best to raise Ryan went right out the window. We jumped up and down and cheered like the rest of the parents. Each small victory was met with enthusiasm, and each blunder with a groan. Unfortunately, the groans were more common. I wasn't sure what Ryan was thinking about; I just knew it wasn't baseball. Time and time again in the first two innings, the ball flew right by him with only a half hearted attempt by him to catch it.

After the end of the second inning, Edward was grinding his teeth in frustration. "I'll be right back," he muttered.

With concern, I watched him step down the bleachers and stalk over to the dugout. Ryan was throwing his glove on the bench when Edward walked up to the fencing.

"What does he think he's doing?" Carlisle muttered, outraged. He moved to get up, but Esme laid a hand on his leg to stop him. She shook her head, and he retook his seat with a huff.

Ryan's head snapped up to see Edward, and his face transformed. Gone was the moody, angry kid from seconds ago, and in his place stood a kid with a huge grin. He told Edward something and fist bumped him through the wire. I couldn't hear what Edward was saying, but Ryan's brow furrowed in concentration, and he nodded along to whatever Edward said. Just before he smashed the batting helmet on, Ryan said something and nodded again.

"What was that about?" I asked when Edward made it back up to our seats. Ryan was still on deck.

"He didn't think we were here," Edward whispered, leaning close so that only I could hear him. "He was disappointed and let it interfere with his game. I just made sure he knew we were watching and reminded him of the things we worked on last week."

As I watched Ryan take his stance in the batter's box, I pondered what Edward had just told me. For some reason, I had thought that knowing that we never wanted to give him up would be comforting to Ryan. I never thought that he would have abandonment issues to deal with. Counseling for us all as a blended family and just for Ryan might be another thing we would have to face in the coming weeks.

Facing a full count, I watched with bated breath as Ryan's arms extended. The crack of the ball smacking into the metal of the bat reverberated off the mats behind the ump. A plume of dirt kicked up as Ryan's bat hit the ground. I tried to watch both the ball, which was bouncing around deep in the outfield, and my son, whose long legs were carrying him to second as fast as he could go. The third base coach motioned him on, and with only a short pause, Ryan kept running the bases. He was halfway to third when the ball sailed in from the outfield. Behind him, the short stop caught it and ran after him. When the short stop was close enough to ensure the third baseman wouldn't drop it, he lobbed the ball to the kid standing on the bag.

Ryan slid feet first as the third baseman's glove, filled with the ball, lowered. Everyone paused as the glove hit Ryan on his hip. There was no sound in the bleachers as we waited for the ump's ruling.

Two arms flung out to the sides. "Safe!"

The cheer that rose from the crowd was practically deafening after the silence that had pervaded my mind since Ryan had hit the bat. His teammates were chanting, and Esme and I were jumping up and down, clapping. She threw her arms around me and squeezed.

"He did it! He got a triple!" she crowed.

My face was stuck in a permanent grin.

The next batter stepped up to the plate, and we quieted instantly so as not to interfere with his concentration. Once we were seated again, I turned to Esme.

"Has he ever done that before?"

"Hit a triple? No." She shook her head. "He got a double once on an overthrow, but that's the most he's ever gotten in one swing."

Our conversation was cut short by the batter, Lauren's son, Caleb, hitting a single that brought Ryan home. He hive-fived each of his teammates as he strutted back into the dugout, and the coach ruffled his hair as the helmet came off.

The Astros were good, but the Red Devils edged them out eight to seven in the final inning. Even though they hadn't had a winning season, the boys could barely be contained as the coach pulled them in to talk to them, before setting them free. When he did, they scattered, running around like crazy until their parents reined them in.

"Best birthday _ever_," Ryan declared with a smirk reminiscent of his father's when he joined the four of us.

"That good, huh?" Carlisle asked, his eyes twinkling as he gazed at Ryan. "Better than the year we went to Disneyland?"

Ryan hesitated and bit his lip. "Eh . . . yeah. I think so. But Disneyland was cool. We can go back anytime," he added hastily.

Carlisle and Esme laughed. "You should have seen him," Esme told me. "We took him for his sixth birthday, because he was finally tall enough to ride everything. Between Space Mountain and meeting Mickey Mouse, I thought his face was going to freeze in a permanent grin."

I imagined it my mind and sighed. We _should _have been there to see it, although the likelihood of us being able to afford such a trip at the time was slim.

Ryan groaned and yanked on Esme hand. "Let's go. Everyone is going to beat us there."

"They aren't going to run out of pizza, Ry," Carlisle chided gently. "Edward, Bella, why don't you follow us so you can leave when you're ready?"

Every time the man opened his mouth, my hackles raised. Did he really think we were going to take off in the middle of our son's party?

Edward clenched his teeth and forced himself to smile. "That sounds like a good plan. This is my car here, so we'll meet you over there."

Ryan looked like he was about to say something, but he caught sight of Edward's and Carlisle's faces and closed his mouth. He gave them an odd look, and then turned away, staring across the parking lot. It concerned me.

Carlisle turned away from Edward and began walking across the lot without another word. Edward swung into the driver's seat and started the car; I hadn't even gotten my door closed.

"That's going to be a problem," I sighed, stroking Edward's hand as it rested on his gearshift.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't know what to do about it," Edward said sadly. "He acts like I'm horning in all these things that he's always done with Ryan. The thing is, I know for a fact that Carlisle never plays ball with him. He might come watch sometimes, but Bella, that glove hadn't been used more than a few times. It was brand new."

I thought back over what I knew about Carlisle Cullen. "I don't think it's baseball, specifically. I get the feeling that Carlisle works a lot, so he only has a little free time to spend with his son. Like today, he took off for Ryan's game and the parties, but now he has to share that limited time and attention with you."

"That's never going to change—at least, not for the better," Edward protested.

"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier," I said gently. "He feels like he's being replaced." I was doing my best to soothe him before we arrived at the pizza place, because I didn't want anything to spoil Ryan's birthday, but inside, I agreed with him that Carlisle was just going to have to get over it.

The pizza place wasn't far from the ball field. I supposed they probably saw a lot of business after Saturday games, judging by the swelling tide of kids and harried-looking parents surging toward the door. They couldn't possibly all be here for Ryan's party.

If I thought it was bad outside, it was almost deafening inside. Bells and sirens rang out from the arcade room, televisions droned from the various eating areas—all playing cartoons—and children ran from one end of the place to the other. Edward and I stood there, staring at the bedlam and the pizza buffet line. The lady at the cash register in front of us cleared her throat to get our attention.

"How many?" she asked in a bored tone.

"Uh, what?" I said, startling out of my daze.

She sighed and popped her gum. "How many are in your party?"

I had no idea what the answer to that question was. For all I knew, it could be fifty people. Just as I was about to answer, Esme pushed through the crowd in front of us and laid her hand on my shoulder. "They're part of the Cullen party."

"Oh, okay," the girl answered, bored. She took our names and marked them off a list she had next to the register. We followed Esme through the crowd to a room near the back that was blocked off and marked "Cullen Birthday."

A large table along the back wall was set up with balloons, and a party favor bag was next to each plate. Several parents were seated at tables along the side. A couple of kids reentered the room and took their seats along the long table. Esme took us over to the table that Carlisle was already sitting at and motioned for us to sit.

"You can sit here with us if you like. The buffet is all-you-can-eat, so have whatever you want. We'll eat first, do cake, ice cream and presents, and then release the kids to the arcade," Esme informed us.

I set my purse in the chair and went with Edward to the buffet line. They had almost every type of pizza that I could imagine. Surveying the selection, I threw three pieces on my plate and filled one of the cups by the soda machine with a Diet Coke. I grabbed a Mountain Dew for Edward. He picked it up from me before we returned to the room together.

Ryan had come back into the party room while we were getting our food. "Bella," he yelled, scooting his chair back from the table and leaping up to come over to me. He threw his arms around me in a big hug.

"Hey, kiddo," I said with a smile while I hugged him back. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks! Hey, come meet my friends." He grabbed my hand and Edward's and pulled us across the room to the large table. One by one, he rattled off the names of the kids sitting there. Then, he introduced us. "This is Bella and Edward."

"Dude, he looks just like you," the boy Ryan had introduced as Jimmy said.

Ryan shrugged. "He's my real dad."

"Cool," Trent, another one of the kids, said. He shoved a slice of pizza in his mouth. That was the only reaction any of the kids gave. It was almost as if most of them already knew . . . or just didn't care.

I ruffled his hair as he sat back down, and we returned to our table. Carlisle's jaw was twitching, but he didn't look up from his food.

"Thanks for letting us be here," I told both him and Esme, trying to extend an olive branch.

Esme started to say something, but Carlisle cut her off, talking low enough so that no one else could hear. "For some reason, he wants you here. That's the only reason you were invited. You've come into his life, being the 'fun parents,' with no responsibilities to him whatsoever. You have no idea what it means to be a parent, but you take the title. You don't deserve it."

I plastered a polite smile on my face and lowered my voice as well. "We haven't been his parents for the last ten years because our son was _stolen_ from us. In case you don't remember, you _bought_ a _stolen baby. _We want those responsibilities, and we always have. I carried him in my womb, and I gave birth to him. I may not remember his first steps or his last birthday, but by God, I want the rest of them. You don't have to like it, Carlisle. We aren't here to fight you or replace you as the man that has raised him. We're here to know him and love him. If you can't accept that, we're going to have a real problem, and it's Ryan that will suffer."

The color drained from Carlisle's face as I spoke.

"Now," I continued, "we can work together and let Ryan grow up knowing that he has two sets of parents that love him dearly, or we can fight about it and act like five-year-olds arguing whose toy he is."

"You're right; I know you're right," Carlisle said. "But you're trying to take my son away from me. How would you feel if our situations were reversed?"

Edward gave him a sad smile. "I do know how you feel, man. Ryan was stolen from me, and I have to listen to him call you 'Dad' every time I see him. I know that you are the one that has raised him, and you've done a good job, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt every time he calls me Edward."

"I didn't think of it that way," Carlisle conceded, and then looked at me. "I can't promise perfection, but I'll try."

"That's all I can ask," I responded.

Ryan broke the moment by yelling out behind us when someone threw a piece of pepperoni at him.

"Boys," Esme warned loud enough to stop Ryan from retaliating.

"Sorry, Mom," Ryan called without turning his head.

"Yeah, sorry, Mrs. Cullen," two of the other boys chimed in together.

She chuckled and shook her head with a smile. The heaviness of a few minutes before was broken, and we dissolved into polite conversation while we ate. Esme told us about who we could expect to attend the party at their house later and what she knew about the boys at the party and their parents. Edward and I were able to supply some information, as many of them were older siblings to the kids we'd grown up with.

The kids were starting to get restless, when Esme brought out the cake. Proudly, Edward and I sang along with everyone else and watched as Ryan blew out his candles. It was one of the most magical moments in my life. I wasn't sure what he'd wished for, but Ryan beamed at us as he blew out all ten candles in one breath.

While Esme cut the cake, I scooped the ice cream. We weren't even finished dishing it out to the parents when the kids announced they were done and were ready to go play video games. Carlisle and Edward both set their cake aside and followed Ryan into the arcade at the end of the hall.

Once all the plates were thrown away and the leftover cake and ice cream re-stored in her freezer bags, Esme and I sat back down heavily at our table and each gave a deep sigh.

"Can I tell you how glad I am that Edward is in there instead of me?" she laughed.

"My God, I know!" I exclaimed. "It's so loud in here, I can't imagine how deafening it is in there. But wouldn't Carlisle have gone anyway?"

Esme rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, but they need a judge, you know. If they are competing, who is going to decide which one did better?" Her voice was laden with sarcasm.

"The points on the machines?" I asked cluelessly.

"It's not good enough," she informed me. "I never could figure out where he got his competitive streak from. Neither Carlisle nor I are."

"Edward," we said together, and laughed as the man in question walked into the room with Ryan beside him, arguing about who had the better score in some game they'd played.

"Mom, can I have some more money?" Ryan asked as they got closer. "I ran out of tokens."

I looked incredulously at Edward, wondering why he hadn't just taken care of it.

"Oh no you don't, little man," Edward scolded. "You not only spent your tokens, but both your dad and I gave you an additional five dollars each. Don't go asking your moms for more money—you've had enough."

"But Edward . . ." Ryan whined.

Edward just gave him a stern look. Ryan huffed and flopped in his chair, pouting. Carlisle stood behind the pair, smirking.

"Can I open my presents now?" Ryan asked after a minute had passed.

Esme nodded. "Let me get everyone back in here, and we'll do that so everyone can go home. We should have done it before you went in there." She disappeared through the door and came back in, leading a pack of hyped up boys.

Ryan changed seats so that everyone in the room could see what he opened. The pile of presents sat next to him. I grabbed a sheet of paper from my purse and carefully recorded who had given what. There were action figures, clothes, a skateboard, a couple of gift cards, a new ball glove, and a few Lego sets. Ryan accepted each one as graciously as any ten-year-old and shouted a loud "thank you" when he was finished.

His friends said goodbye minutes later, and we loaded up all of his gifts, the dessert, and a thoroughly hyper Ryan back into the Cullens' car.

"You guys are coming to the house, right?" Ryan asked, slightly panicked, as if afraid we were going to disappear. "It's my family party tonight."

"Yes, Ryan," I reassured him—again. "We're following you there."

Only then did he let us go.

Edward filled me in on all the games they'd played in the forty minutes they'd spent in the arcade. He and Carlisle shared the playing and judging duties. Ryan didn't seem to mind which of them did what, as long as they both were there. That seemed to have reassured Carlisle more than anything, and Edward said that by the time they left the room, he was laughing and joking with Edward like they were old friends.

We pulled in behind the Cullens when we got to the house and took everything into the house. Ryan carried all of his presents up to his room. When he came back down, I called him into the kitchen and handed him the list I'd made.

"This is what each person got you. You need to take some time this week to send each person a thank you note," I told him.

"A what?" he asked.

My own mother hadn't been a model of propriety or manners, but this was something she'd insisted on every year, so it surprised me that he wasn't accustomed to doing it. "You need to write them a thank you note. Just something small to let them know you appreciated their gift, and in the case of the gift cards, what you plan to do with them."

His eyes cut over to Esme, as if to ask if he really had to do it.

She raised her eyebrow. "Ryan," she said warningly, "if Bella tells you to write thank you notes, you'll write thank you notes. It's the polite thing to do anyway."

He made a face, but reached for the list I still held and stuck it in his pocket. "Okay," he mumbled. "They won't be any good, but I'll do them."

"That's all I ask," I told him, kissing his forehead.

Ryan went outside where Carlisle and Edward were setting up some lawn chairs and a table for food. I returned to helping Esme with the cold dishes and the baked beans.

"I hope I didn't step on your toes," I said apologetically.

She smiled at me. "Not at all. I never thought about having him do it, but it's a good idea."

I shrugged. "My mom didn't do much, but that was something she insisted on. I think that part of it was that my dad and some people from around here would send me gifts every year, and it was too expensive to call and say thank you, so she had me write notes instead."

"Speaking of your dad, is he coming today?" she asked.

I shook my head. "He's actually in Seattle. There is some dispute over what they're going to do with Dr. Gerandy. Apparently, he left out a few felonies when he arranged his plea, and there is some dispute over whether they should let him plead out."

"What?" she asked, shocked. "Ryan was the only baby he arranged a false adoption for, right?"

"As far as we've been able to determine, yes, but the federal prosecutor said something about most people selling babies getting caught on only one offense. Since they can't prove the others, they aren't admissible in court proceedings, and he doesn't want this case to set a precedent for allowing them to get off easy," I told her.

"What a mess," she said. "Can you get the deviled eggs out of the refrigerator?" And just like that, we went back to work and lighter topics.

The Cullens' small family began arriving about twenty minutes later. Edward and I were introduced to Carlisle's parents, who lived about two hours south of Forks, Esme's parents, who were in from Sacramento for the rest of the weekend, and Esme's brother, Charles and his family, who were going to stay the night and go back to Portland the next day. It was a flurry of introductions, which bled straight into food.

Carlisle and Edward had set up the lawn chairs in a large circle around a fire pit, which Ryan declared was for roasting s'mores later. We all took our seats, mixing and mingling freely. Edward was talking to Charles on his right side, while I listened to Esme talk to her family on my left. Ryan was on the other side with his two older cousins, Christa and McKenna.

"I thought the friend party was this morning," Esme's mother said primly, but loud enough for her voice to carry across the circle.

"It was," Esme answered.

"Oh." Viola, Esme's mother looked like she'd swallowed a lemon and cast a glance at Edward and me. "Then, why are they here? This is only supposed to be for family."

My eyes closed, and I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn't want to get into this on Ryan's birthday, but I wasn't going to sit here and take this woman declaring that I didn't belong at my son's birthday party.

"They are family," Ryan said decisively. "They're my parents."

Viola blinked, and Arthur, Esme's father, cleared his throat. "That's not a nice thing to say Ryan. Esme and Carlisle have been very good to you."

Ryan gave him a look that clearly said "duh." "Yeah, Mom and Dad are great. It's just that Edward and Bella are my parents, too."

No one else seemed surprised by this pronouncement, but all eyes were glued on the Carters.

Thankfully, Ryan seemed oblivious to the tension.

"It seems that we've missed something." Viola leveled her narrowed gaze at Esme. "Perhaps you would care to fill us in, Esme?"

"Later, Mother," Esme said shortly. "For now, it should be enough for you to know that Edward and Bella are Ryan's birth parents and are part of his life."

Viola didn't look happy about it, but she let it go after making it clear that Esme wouldn't get out of explaining later.

"You didn't tell them?" I asked a few minutes later when Esme and I found ourselves cleaning up alone in the kitchen.

Esme snorted. "You've met my mother now. Would you? She hasn't agreed with any decision I've made in the last fifteen years. Don't get me wrong, she loves Ryan, but she was very against us adopting in the first place."

"You're waiting for the 'I told you so,'" I surmised.

She rolled her eyes. "And the lectures that are sure to follow. Don't worry about it. Everyone else here knows, and they all think it's great." Esme patted me on the shoulder and gave me a sweet smile.

"Let's take this cake out there so Ryan can eat even more sugar tonight," she teased.

I laughed and lifted the cake with the now burning candles. Esme got the door for me and began singing the traditional song. As soon as Ryan heard the strains, he perked up. The rest of the family joined in—Charles was wildly off key, on purpose. It made his girls and Ryan giggle.

Once again, Ryan blew out all ten candles in one breath. He gave us all a huge grin, stuck his hand in the corner of the cake, and shoved it in his mouth. Edward took a picture while he laughed. It was like Ryan was unintentionally recreating his first birthday just for us.

This time, I cut the cake while Esme scooped ice cream. There were a lot less people this time, but the stack of presents piled in front of Ryan while he ate was considerably larger. Once he was finished, I gathered up the trash and stuffed it in one of the large industrial trash bags Carlisle had placed around the circle of chairs. Esme disappeared into the house and returned with a pad of paper and a pen. She winked at me and set the paper in her lap, ready to take notes.

Charles, Christina, and their girls had gotten Ryan some new clothes and a couple of books that he was excited about. Carlisle's parents gave him some dress clothes, an iTunes gift card, and an Old Navy gift card. The Carters gave him a Blu-ray player for his room and the entire _Star Wars_ collection, including the _Clone Wars_ movies to play in it. Ryan was over the moon for it and kept talking about how he couldn't wait to watch them.

Our gifts came next. As Edward suspected, the Lego sets were a huge hit. Ryan immediately informed Edward that he had to help him put them together when he came over. He seemed to like the clothes we got him, too, though those did garner less enthusiasm as expected. Alice and Jasper's card, as well as my father's, were still in my purse, so I ran inside to get them while Ryan picked up the Millennium Falcon box and inspected it closely with Edward, Carlisle, and Charles.

"We can talk about my dad's gift later," I said with a wince to Esme when I returned.

"Okay . . ." She gave me an odd look, but I was sure she would understand when he opened the card.

Edward had to explain to Ryan who Alice and Jasper were when he opened the card, but he just seemed happy to have more money to spend on music, not really caring where it came from.

I laid my hand on Edward's arm to stop him from handing over Dad's card. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the discussion that would follow didn't need to have an audience. He nodded in understanding and sat back to allow Carlisle to hand over their gifts.

The usual clothes and books followed as Ryan tore open the brightly colored packages. He did get excited about two of the video games he opened, but the Cullens' "going overboard" was in the last package of the night. As Ryan ripped off the paper, his eyes widened to small saucers.

"This is so cool," he breathed, lifting the smartphone from its packaging. "It's the one I saw when you got your new phone, Dad. It's awesome."

"Yes, well," Carlisle said while he rubbed his neck nervously, "you have unlimited text messaging and you can get on the internet, but you can only call those people we've programmed in. If you want to add a friend, you'll have to have Mom or me add them to the phonebook."

"Thanks, Dad!" Ryan jumped up from his chair and hugged Carlisle hard. Then, he practically bounced over to Esme and pinned her in her chair with his body as he threw his arms around her neck.

She grunted from the force he'd hit her with, but her smile said it all. I had no doubt that she loved Ryan with her whole heart, and I was sure that if it hadn't been able to be me that raised him, I was glad it was her.

Eventually, Ryan stood and returned to his chair, his eyes never leaving the screen of his phone. "Look, they programmed you and Bella in here, too," Ryan commented to Edward as he showed off his new toy.

Even Uncle Charles scooted close so he could see what was on the screen.

"I think it's wonderful that you all are trying to be part of his life," an unfamiliar voice said beside me as I cleaned up the trash around the food table.

I turned my head and smiled at Christina.

"Thank you," I said, trying not to make it come out as a question.

"Es told me what happened," she said, now lending a hand in covering the food containers that still had food in them. "I just can't believe anyone would do that to a new mother. It's awful!"

I nodded. "It was pretty awful. I'm just glad that Fate intervened and brought him back to us."

She smiled. "He's a good kid."

"Yes, he is," I agreed. We both watched him silently for a moment, before I sighed and returned to my task.

Christina helped me take the dishes into the kitchen, where Esme was in deep conversation with her parents. Christina and I exchanged a glance, before darting back outside. As soon as we were clear of the doors, Christina started laughing.

"Can you say awkward?" she joked, making me laugh as well. "Seriously, I love my in-laws—they're good people—but they have an opinion on _everything._ Mac wanted to work backstage on the school musical last year because the boy she liked was playing the lead, and Viola saw fit to tell her that all boys that were 'involved in theatre were homosexual and she should do something befitting her station.' Can you imagine? Mac's twelve years old."

I giggled. Somehow, I could see the older woman being pretentious enough to say that to her grandchild.

"Oh, wait," Carlisle said suddenly. "Ryan, there's another card for you on the table by the phone. I'm not sure who it's from, though."

Ryan ran in the house, still clutching his new phone, and ran back out a few seconds later with his nose wrinkled. His gaze alternated between the envelope in front of him and the kitchen door behind him.

"What is it, buddy?" Edward asked, concerned by his expression.

He shrugged. "Grandma is yelling again. Who do we know in New York?"

I groaned and shot a look at Edward. He rolled his eyes and blew out a breath before answering, "My parents live in New York, Ryan."

"Wait . . . so does having four parents mean that I've got eight grandparents?" Ryan asked, his face lighting up with a manic gleam.

"Actually, Ryan, you have nine. My mom is remarried," I told him.

"Sweet!" he shouted.

"Trust the kid to find the silver lining," Carlisle's dad chuckled in his deep and rumbly voice.

Ryan wasn't paying attention, though. He was already ripping into the card. He spared a cursory glance at the words, before turning his attention to what was inside.

Quickly, I retrieved the list from where Esme had left it and wrote down the iTunes gift card that I could see. He stared curiously at the other item, but the light had fallen low enough that I couldn't see what it was.

"What are these?" Ryan finally asked.

"Those are baseball cards," Edward answered. "When I was your age, I collected them."

Ryan tore open the package and looked at each one in turn. "Hey, I got a Halladay card. That's cool."

Behind Ryan, Charles' two girls had poked their heads up at the sound of more presents, but quickly lost interest and returned to playing with their phones. Edward was giving Ryan ideas on how to store the cards, while I waited for Esme to return to the party.

A few minutes later, she stomped out the door, looking partly frustrated and partly pissed off. I could see her doing her best to collect herself before she got any closer to Ryan. "What did you get, Ry?" she asked, her voice deceptively calm.

"An iTunes card and some baseball cards from Grandma and Grandpa Masen," he said distractedly as he was still leafing through them.

I raised my eyebrows at Edward upon hearing the name, but he just shrugged.

"Have you given him the gift from Charlie yet?" Esme asked.

I shook my head. "I was waiting for you. There might be some logistics to work out." I leaned over and handed Dad's card to Ryan. "One last present."

Ryan turned the envelope over in his hands and looked at it quizzically, before pulling out the flap and reading the card. Then he turned his attention to the envelope inside. "Are these?" he gasped. "Really? That's so cool!"

"What are they?" Carlisle asked.

"Tickets to a Mariners game!" Ryan crowed. "Woo hoo! Grandpa Charlie rocks! Can I go, Mom? Please?"

"That's the logistics part," I whispered in an undertone to Esme. "Charlie managed to get three tickets to the game for next Saturday."

"Oh," she said. "Isn't that supposed to be your weekend here?"

"It is. I know Charlie's planning to come up for the game, if Ryan wants him to come, and you all could just come with him or . . ." I trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

Esme gave a heavy sigh. "The tickets are for Ryan, Charlie, and Edward, aren't they?"

I hedged. "I think that was his intent, but I'm sure he'd be happy to have Carlisle there. He just knew that it would make Ryan happy."

She leaned in close. "Carlisle hates baseball. I don't think he'll mind too much if Ryan picks Edward to go in his place. But if they spend all afternoon at the game, you won't get to see him."

"I'll make dinner for everyone afterwards," I said, the hollow feeling of not getting to spend my time with Ryan returning.

Esme searched my face, lit by the flames from the fire pit. "We'll figure something out."

Ryan's cheer could be heard across the lawn when she finally granted him permission to use his now favorite gift.

**So, did the party go like you thought it would? As for Edward and Bella meeting the other parents—as they were siblings of those they went to school with, you can assume they already know them and that they talked to them. I just didn't feel like adding in a bunch of characters that would never matter. **

**Rec of the Week: This Is My Wish by ericastwilight—go read it. Oh, and take a box of tissues with you because there hasn't been a single chapter that hasn't made me cry. It is simply heartbreakingly beautiful. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Sigh. I own a nifty lap desk from Brookstone. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. **

**A/N: Thank you for all of your kind words this week. It was very welcomed. Thank you to JenRar for her beta duties. She rocks. **

**I will say I've done my best with this chapter and the information contained therein. If you find glaring errors, let me know. **

**Chapter 18**

Edward and I were quiet as we drove home the next day. After Ryan had opened all of his presents, Esme had brought us into the living room and handed over five albums of pictures. For the first time, I got to see my son as a newborn. Edward held me close to his side as both of us struggled to keep a lid on our emotions. The only problem with the pictures was the arms that held him—they weren't ours.

Each of Ryan's milestones was memorialized in those albums, and through them, we got to see when our son got his first tooth, took his first steps, and got his first haircut. He'd been an adorable baby and an even cuter toddler. Year by year, Esme had kept a careful record of her only child's life.

For hours once we'd gotten back to the hotel, I'd cried on Edward's shoulder as he'd held me. We'd lost so much time with our boy, and they were memories that we could never recreate. Never in my life had I hated someone as much as I did Bob Gerandy at that moment. I hoped that he paid in any conceivable way possible for stealing something so precious from us.

"Did Esme ever decide what to do about next weekend?" Edward asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the car.

"No." I shook my head. "She said he could go, but the rest of the details are still up in the air. She's supposed to call me mid-week to go over the plans."

"All right. I got an email from Maggie. She wants to show us some properties this week, too."

"Did you see any of them?" I asked wearily. I was so tired from having been up half the night in tears that any amount of anything made me want to hide away in my room and never come out.

"No, I just saw the email from her," he answered. He sounded just as tired as I felt. "I thought that might cheer you up a bit."

I gave him a strange look, wondering why looking at houses and adding one more thing to our plates was going to cheer me up.

Edward sighed. "It's our first home . . . together. And I want to have a room just for Ryan. I want him to be able to come up and spend a weekend with us once in a while until we can have him around all the time. I don't know; I thought you'd be more excited about that."

"Oh, I am," I assured him. "It's just so hard to see through all this crap right now, you know? He's a ten-year-old boy. We've missed his entire life so far, and all we can see of it is pictures. For us to spend any time with him, it has to be a big production. I'm just so tired, Edward."

"I know, baby." He gave me a sad smile and squeezed my hand where it rested on the console. "Let's get home and get some sleep."

It was still relatively early when we pulled into the parking lot of my apartment—not even dinner time. Edward let me out and told me he was going to check on his place and he'd be back later. I threw my bag into my room and wandered into the kitchen to see what we had in there.

All of the ingredients for my chicken pot pie were already stocked, so I pulled them out and started assembling the meal. I wasn't sure if Alice would be back for dinner or not, so I made enough for her and Jasper, as well. The repetitive motions of chopping the chicken breasts and rolling out the pie crust was just what I needed to calm the storm in my mind. It was soothing in a way nothing else could be.

I still had thirty minutes of baking time when I finally slid the pies into the oven, so I set the alarm on my phone, as well as the timer on the oven, and walked back to my bathroom, where I took a long shower to soothe my muscles. When I got out, I threw on some yoga pants and a t-shirt and returned to the kitchen to pull out the now golden brown pies.

The apartment was still empty, save for me, almost twenty minutes later. The pot pies had cooled beyond the point at which they wouldn't need to be reheated. I cut my own slice, popped it in the microwave, and ate alone in front of the television. I'd made it through two prime time dramas by the time I heard a key turn in the lock.

"Hey, baby," Edward said, walking across the room to kiss me. "Sorry it took so long. Things didn't go well this weekend, and I had to get an update from Jasper. Then I printed off the listings that Maggie sent over." He threw a stack of papers down on the table.

"That's okay." I yawned and stretched out. "Dinner's in the kitchen if you want some."

Edward bent over and kissed me lightly, before heading through the doorway. "You made pot pie?" he cried excitedly. "Hot damn." Within minutes, I could hear the hum of the microwave and tinkling of the flatware in the drawer.

Edward returned with a huge piece of pie on his plate and a grin on his face. "I'm sorry you had to eat it alone, but damn, this is good." One bite was already missing from the end.

I shrugged. "I figured you got held up with something, and I was hungry. I just watched some TV while I waited. Alice isn't home, either."

"No, she's over at Jasper's. I heard her when I called him about work. You can go ahead and look at the houses if you want. Some of them looked intriguing at first glance." Edward pushed the stack toward me with his foot.

He was right. There were several that did look rather impressive. "Edward, can we afford these?" I asked.

Edward snickered. "Yes. Bella, when I lived in Virginia, I lived in a one bedroom apartment a lot like the one I have now. Other than my computer equipment, I lived pretty simply. I have enough in savings alone to pay for some of those houses. The Army may not pay much according to some standards, but it was more than enough for me. Combine that with your income, and . . ."

"Okay, okay, I get your point," I muttered.

Edward and I had grown up differently, and our attitudes about money had been one of the few things we argued about when we were younger. He liked buying me presents, and I didn't like getting them, because I couldn't reciprocate. That led me to my own saving habits over the years, and if I considered what I had saved after I paid off my school loans, I wondered if we even needed a mortgage at all.

One house in particular caught my eye, and I set it to the side to look at more later. It was in foreclosure, but it had all the features we wanted even before we did the work it needed—and it did need some. From the information Maggie had supplied, it had been sitting empty for several months and the former owners weren't gentle when they left.

Three other properties interested me in the end.

"I liked those four, too," Edward commented with a mouth full of food. "And there was one more . . ." He rooted through the pile and came up with one that I'd dismissed at first glance. "I don't know, there's something about this one."

"Okay," I said simply. No one said that we had to like it when we saw it, and it wasn't like it would drag us across the country. Seeing it would only take a few minutes of our time.

Edward set his empty plate on the table and opened his arms to me. Quickly, I scooted backwards and snuggled into his chest.

"I missed you today," he whispered into my ear, placing a small kiss right below it.

"I missed you, too," I admitted. "It got lonely here after a while."

His arms tightened around me, pulling me even closer, if that was possible. "Someday soon, we'll have our place together, and we won't have to do this."

I leaned forward and twisted my head to look at him. "You don't want this just because of Ryan, do you?"

He shook his head and smiled at me. The love I saw in his eyes melted any doubts I could ever have. "No, baby. I wanted this the moment I took you to dinner for the first time. I didn't want to leave you here while I went home alone without you. I've told you—you're it for me."

"I love you," I whispered, before covering his mouth with mine.

The passion we both felt quickly escalated, and it wasn't long before my shirt and bra decorated the floor and his was thrown over the back of the couch like an oddly shaped throw.

"God, you're beautiful," he mumbled, taking one of my nipples into his mouth. I let out a low moan as he sucked and swirled his tongue around it. My hips rocked against his, the placard of his jeans over his erection doing little to stifle the need building inside me.

"Off," I grunted as I popped the button on Edward's jeans. They were halfway down his hips when we heard noise outside the door. Someone fumbled with the door knob, and I grabbed Edward's shirt to cover my chest. The next second, the door flew open, revealing Alice and Jasper on the other side.

"Uh . . ." Jasper said, his eyes going wide.

Edward tried to covertly pull his jeans back up, but he couldn't lift up without showing the couple at the door his bare ass.

Alice stifled a laugh, badly. "We're, uh, going to go into the kitchen . . ." She pointed at the doorway, and then darted across the room.

Jasper followed after shutting the door to the apartment, and seconds later, we both heard peals of laughter coming from the other room.

Edward banged his head against the arm rest. "We need our own place, like, yesterday."

I chuckled, though I was thoroughly embarrassed, and slipped my bra and shirt back on. "There's chicken pot pie in there," I called to the still amused couple in the kitchen. I figured we only had two choices: to pretend that they hadn't just walked in on us about to fuck on the couch or to face it head on. I was all for avoidance.

Edward tugged his shirt over his head and sauntered into the kitchen in front of me.

"Please tell me you weren't actually having sex on the couch," Alice pleaded.

"If you'd been about two minutes later, the show would've been a lot different," Edward quipped as he broke a piece of crust off and popped it in his mouth. He grinned wolfishly at her.

"Oh, ew!" she responded, shivering.

I turned another shade of red, and Edward shrugged, unconcerned. "I've had to look at Jasper's enough times over the years. Maybe it's time the favor was returned."

"True," Jasper said. "But I didn't care about you seeing any of the girls I was with, either."

Edward's face fell. "We'll keep it in the bedroom, at least until she moves out," he declared.

"Speaking of which," Alice said, wincing. "When might that be happening?"

I felt horrible. In all of our excitement, I'd forgotten again that I was deserting my best friend and that she would need to either find another roommate or somewhere else to live. "God, Ali, I'm sorry. We'll probably see a few houses this week. If we like one of those, I guess however long it takes to buy one. Maybe a month or two? Will that be enough time?"

She glanced at Jasper, and I saw him give her a tiny nod. "Yeah, that'll be fine. Jasper's lease will be up in a couple of months anyway, so that should be perfect timing."

Edward looked at Jasper appraisingly. "A little fast for you, don't you think?"

Jasper shrugged and took his pot pie out of the microwave. "When you know, you know."

I shot Alice a look, silently asking if they were truly that serious. She gave me a smile that lit up her whole face, and I knew that my best friend had found her happiness, as well. Instead of saying anything, though, I just gave her a hug and plopped into the chair beside her.

That's where I stayed the rest of the night, right by Alice's side. After giving them all of the details about Ryan's parties, all of us seemed loathe to separate. It had been so long since we'd spent any appreciable time together. So instead of going our separate ways, all four of us crowded onto the couch—with a few comments from Jasper—and watched a movie. It was nice to spend time with Alice again.

Edward made sure that we picked up where we'd left off as soon as we got back to my room. He didn't waste any time in getting me naked again and sheathing himself inside me. Our love was hard, fast, and just what we needed right then.

The next day, I got a text from Edward that said Maggie would be ready to show us our chosen houses the next night. It would have been that night, but he was going to have pull the graveyard shift. Fortunately, I had plenty of case work and journals to review.

Just before ten, I got an email from Alec Majors.

_Bella, _

_ Your father asked me to email you a status update on the case against Robert Gerandy. Given the nature of his offences and the crimes that he did not confess to, the prosecutor's office has rescinded their plea agreement. The one they offered in its place was declined by Dr. Gerandy and his council. _

_ You should be prepared to testify at trial if an alternate agreement cannot be reached. Per Charlie's request, we will do our best to keep Ryan out of it, but you should also be prepared for additional attention by the media when the news is released. _

_Sincerely, _

_Agt. Alec Majors_

I read through it twice, trying to make sense of what he was telling me. I knew how child kidnapping cases played in the media, and this one was sure to be extra explosive, given the circumstances. There was a good chance that some intrepid reporter would go snooping around Forks, and I wanted to keep Ryan as insulated as possible. I forwarded Alec's message, along with a note of explanation to Aron, and resolved to call Esme the following day. Then, exhausted, I went to bed.

Getting a full night's sleep didn't improve Tuesday any. What began with the auspicious email from Alec continued with a call from Aron.

He didn't waste any time on greetings. _"I got your email last night. I have to tell you, it could make things more difficult for you if this goes to trial."_

I groaned. "That's what I was afraid of. A judge can't hold Ryan's kidnapper's case against us, though, can he?"

"_No,"_ Aron reassured me. _"We've been trying to keep this off the docket, though, if we can. So far, your good relationship with the Cullens has made things easier. If Ryan were to be threatened, that could change."_

"I was planning to call Esme today and give her a heads up," I told him.

He chuckled. _"Hmm, I'll be surprised if she hasn't called you by the end of the day anyway. I heard from DSHS this morning. The case worker that's been assigned to Ryan is Majorie Hollings. She's one of the best. Today, she's making the trip down to Forks to interview the Cullens and Ryan about your recent visits—which I told her about—and to get a better idea of how things are working now. You should expect to hear from her today or tomorrow. She will want to interview both you and Edward, as well."_

My heart stilled, and I could barely breathe. "What exactly does that mean?"

"_Based on what you all have agreed upon thus far, she will determine whether continued visitation is an option and when we can move forward with unsupervised visitation. From there, we'll continue to talk about custody and what will and won't be allowed," _he informed me.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to absorb what he was saying. Did this mean that there was a chance the case against Dr. Gerandy could take away our ability to be with Ryan?

As if he could tell what I was thinking, Aron interrupted my musings. _"I don't think you have anything to worry about. From what I've heard, both visits with Ryan went well, and he seems to be adjusting to having two sets of parents without difficulty. Lots of kids deal with split households, Bella, so the court isn't going to balk at that. As for the likely intrusion by the media, you didn't cause it, and you have no control over it."_

"Thanks, Aron," I whispered, my heart pounding in my ears. "Let me know if you hear anything else."

"_I will. You do the same."_ He hung up a few seconds later.

I called Edward and left him a voicemail to fill him in on both the email and the conversation with Aron, before I turned off my ringer and welcomed my first patient of the day.

Just when things seemed to be looking up, one of my patients called in for an emergency session during one of the only free moments I had in my day. I spent an hour listening to the autistic young man rant about how his peers couldn't follow the rules. For most people, the other student's infractions—sharpening their pencil during a test, speaking out of turn, and doing the wrong page in the workbook—would have been minor annoyances, but for a child being mainstreamed after years in the tightly controlled environment of a school specializing in his particular disorder, they were the epitome of what was wrong with the world.

By the end of the hour, he still wasn't reassured that nothing horrible would come from the minor rule-bending, but he was no longer near the edge of a complete breakdown. He would be able to return to his year-round classroom in the private school he attended the next day, anyway.

At six-thirty, I met Edward and Maggie at her office for our "tour of homes," as she put it. Only four of the houses we wanted to see were still available and she'd scheduled it so we could see them all in one evening. On our way to the first house, Maggie extolled its virtues to us. Closer inspection, however, revealed that much of what she was repeating was cleverly concealed "realtor speak." The walk-in pantry would only hold a two-year-old inside, the five large bedrooms would have been large if you didn't actually have to put beds in them, and the house took up most of the lot. While that eliminated the need for actually mowing the grass, it did put a damper on the outdoor activities we'd both envisioned for one day in the near future.

The second house lived up to its billing more, but I wasn't as impressed as I'd thought I'd be. It needed a lot of work to get it back up to livable shape. There were holes in several walls where people had tried to get to the copper pipes inside. The owners had been evicted when they failed to pay their mortgage for more than a year, and the neglect born of lack of funds was evident. It had been a beautiful home, and could be again, but neither Edward nor I had the inclination or time that was necessary to make it happen.

When we pulled up to the third house, I could immediately see that it was more along the lines of what we were looking for. The house was in good shape, and the yard had been meticulously maintained. There were five decently sized bedrooms, and the basement was finished as a rec room. The kitchen was well-kept, but the fixtures and appliances were outdated. I could see us there, though.

"What do you think?" Edward asked, coming up behind me and setting his hands on my waist as I looked out over the backyard.

"I like it," I said. The house was nice, and it fit all of our criteria. "The kitchen is going to need some work."

"Yeah. Keep it on the list?" he asked.

I nodded. "Let's see the last one for tonight, and we'll go from there."

So we did. The last house was by far my favorite, and Edward's, too. There were only four bedrooms, but the basement was finished in such a way that someone could easily sleep there. The bathrooms and kitchen were all up to date, and the den even had a padded seat in a bay window overlooking the backyard. It was quite a bit more expensive than the previous one, but Maggie thought the sellers might be willing to come down.

When Maggie dropped us back off, I asked for a couple of days to think about it, and she agreed to follow up on Friday afternoon. Edward followed me back to my apartment, and we collapsed on the sofa in exhaustion.

"Dear God, I'm tired," he muttered. His head was leaning on the back of the couch, and his eyes were closed.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" I asked as I ran my fingers through his hair.

He shook his head slightly. "I got about two hours worth this morning."

I stood and pulled on his hand. "It's already after nine. Let's go on to bed. I can read for a little while."

"You don't mind?" he asked skeptically.

"Not at all," I told him with a smile.

Once we got ready for bed, though, Edward seemed to have other ideas. Lying in bed with my back to his chest, his arm snaked underneath my shirt and up my stomach. It didn't take long for his attention to my nipples to spike my desire, and I shamelessly ground my ass against him.

He groaned and pulled me tighter to him. I could feel each and every hard inch of him. I turned my head, meeting his lips with my own. While we kissed, one of his hands drifted downward and hooked the waistband of my underwear. Before I could protest—even though it would have only been half-hearted—my underwear were around my knees. Edward's palm cupped me, and he slid two fingers into me. I was almost embarrassed at how wet I was, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Want you," I murmured as I pulled away from our kiss to breathe.

He grinned at me wickedly. "With pleasure." He yanked his shirt over his head and shimmied out of his boxers while I divested myself of my cami and panties. Edward tackled me to the mattress, holding me down on my stomach while he ran his lips up and down my upper back.

"Lean up on your elbows for me, baby," he whispered huskily.

As soon as I did as he suggested, Edward's hands cupped my breasts. I moaned and pushed my ass against him again.

"Oh, we'll get there, don't worry," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

After a little more attention to my neck and shoulders with his mouth, Edward nudged my knees apart slightly, though he kept his own on the outside. I wasn't sure how this was going to work, but as Edward slid into me with a hiss, I could feel the extra tension this position provided.

It was heavenly. Every time Edward thrust into me, his balls would brush my clit, spiking my desire higher. His lips never stopped caressing whatever bit of skin he could reach, and one of his hands played with my nipple, pinching and pulling in time with his thrusts.

"Come with me," I begged, feeling my orgasm barreling toward me.

"Oh, God, baby," he grunted. "I can't . . . I'm . . ."

At my pleading, he lost whatever tenuous hold he had on himself. His erratic thrusts as he came hit me in just the right way, and I cried out as I fell over the edge. Edward collapsed against me, his weight and the feel of his rigid muscles delicious.

Placing one last, tired kiss to my neck, Edward rolled to the side and flopped onto the bed. "Christ, Bella, that was . . . fuck!"

I giggled. "I know. Where did you pick up that position?" I paused. "Or do I want to know?"

"Um . . ." He laughed, his face turning red. "Didn't we agree that anything we've done in the past only makes our sex life better?"

I slapped his shoulder. "Is there anything new left that you haven't already tried?"

His grin turned mischievous. "I'm sure we can work out a few things."

"Ass," I teased, rolling off the bed and picking up my clothes.

It wasn't the first time Edward and I had talked about our previous partners, and it really didn't bother me. Edward wasn't so keen hearing about Garrett or the one night stand I'd had, but his nameless, faceless women were meaningless, and we both knew it. Tanya was the only exception, and I knew that whatever feelings he had for her didn't even come close to what he felt for me. Besides, I was the one that would benefit from his expertise for the rest of our lives; I wasn't going to complain about that.

"What's the plan for the rest of the week?" Edward asked when he joined me in the bathroom.

I shrugged. "Aron seemed to think we'd be hearing from the case worker for interviews this week. She went to Forks today. Other than that, my week is fairly normal. You?"

"I agreed to pull the Friday night shift so Jasper and Ben could both go out. If everything goes according to plan, we'll have the rest of the weekend off. Since they're going to be out, do you want to spend the night with me? I can work from home."

I kissed him lightly. "That sounds like a good plan. You'll just need to get some rest. With any luck, you'll have a baseball game with a ten-year-old to go to Saturday afternoon."

"Do you think they'll let him come?" he asked, nerves making his voice shake slightly.

"I don't know. He was so excited, though, I think the worst case scenario is that I would have to entertain Carlisle and Esme while you boys have fun," I said wryly.

"Sucks to be you," he teased, slapping my ass on his way back into the bedroom.

I laughed and jumped on top of him as he crawled into the bed. Instead of fighting back like I'd expected him to, though, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me tenderly.

"I love you, Bella. Thank you for . . . being with me. I will do my best to never take you for granted," he vowed, the love shining through his eyes.

"I love you, too."

**I'd love to hear what you think. Leave me a note and let me know. I also have to start working on my next outtake this week and I need to know what you want to read. Tell me?**


	19. Chapter 19

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: It's all owned by their respective owners. Including the parts that belong to me. **

**A/N: Thank you to Jenny Cullen for betaing this. And thanks to KareBear for reccing this on her FaceBook fan page. She rocks! Thanks to everyone that reads and reviews each week. They truly make me smile. **

**Chapter 19**

"Bella, your phone is ringing," Edward yelled from the bedroom while I was cooking dinner Wednesday night. Since he was already here, I'd left it in my purse on the bed.

"Answer it!" I yelled back. My hands were covered in raw chicken, egg, and breading, and I had grease popping on the stove. If I left, I was liable to burn down the whole building.

I gently dropped three chicken breasts in the skillet, and then turned to wash off my hands, just as Edward skidded into the kitchen. "It's Marjorie Hollings."

As fast as I could, I wiped off my hands and took the phone from his. "Bella Swan speaking."

"_Hello, Bella, this is Marjorie Hollings. I'm sorry to call so late, but I actually just got back from Forks. Interesting little town."_

I laughed. "That's one way to put it. How did things go?"

"_Very well, actually. Ryan seems to be a well-rounded and level-headed young man. He's very fond of you and Major Masen already." _I could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'm very glad to hear that." I couldn't prevent my own smile from taking over. "How can I help you this evening?"

"_Well, I need to schedule a home visit with both you and Major Masen. Do you live together or separately?"_ she asked.

"Currently, we have separate apartments, but we are in the process of buying a house," I reported.

She hummed on her end, and I could hear the shuffling of papers. _"I'll need to meet with each of you in your own homes, then. How does tomorrow evening work for the two of you?"_

I mouthed the question to Edward, and he shrugged, answering, "I can be there anytime."

I returned to the call and made arrangements for her to meet me here at six. After a few more pleasantries, I handed the phone off to Edward while I pulled out the now blackening chicken and put it on to broil.

Dinner didn't turn out as well as I had planned. The chicken was slightly burned, and the green beans were cold by the time we got to the table. It was edible, though. At least the first half of the meal was, because mid way through, my phone rang again. This time, it was Esme.

"_Hey, Bella, did I catch you at a bad time?"_ she asked after I answered.

I looked forlornly at my meal, sighed internally, and said, "No, not at all. How are you this evening?"

"_I'm about to pull my hair out. Ryan is driving me nuts about this game this weekend. Do you know what the plans are?"_

I tried to fight a smile and lost. "Well, that is sort of up to you, Carlisle, and Ryan. I think Dad's original plan was for Ryan, Edward, and him to go to the game, but it's a late afternoon game."

"_Oh, that's Ryan's plan, too,"_ she said. "_He's been talking non-stop about it. I'm pretty sure that case worker got an earful about it yesterday, too. When is Charlie coming up?"_

"We hadn't talked specifics, but usually, he comes up in the afternoon and just stays here until Sunday morning if he doesn't have to work the next day. When are you planning to come up?" I asked, wondering if I would only have to spend game time with them or the entire day.

She sighed. _"Carlisle and I aren't exactly in agreement on this, so it's not set in stone. That, and I want to get Ms. Hollings' report first, but I wondered what you would think about Ryan riding up and back with Charlie."_

"I'm sure Charlie would be delighted, and we would be, too. What is Carlisle's problem, if I may?" I asked carefully.

"_It's nothing against you and Edward. Ryan just hasn't ever gone so far from one of us before. And sleepovers haven't gone over real well. He spent the night once with my brother across town, and Carlisle ended up driving to get him in the middle of the night. He was only six at the time, but getting woken up at two-thirty in the morning and hearing your child wailing the background made an impression." _She laughed. _"I'll be honest, Bella. I'm not sure what the right thing to do here is."_

I knew from my own schooling that sleepovers were a common source of fear for young children, but rarely did older children have the same hang-ups. "What about the visitation stipulations?"

"_I think the Chief of Police counts as someone that can supervise a visitation,"_ she answered wryly. _"Though I'll be surprised if it's required anymore. I would prefer, though, that they come home Saturday night."_

"Let me talk to my dad. I don't think he'll mind, as long as the weather cooperates," I offered.

"_That will work, then."_ She sighed and didn't talk for a few seconds. _"Bella, why was that woman here? What are you trying to do?"  
><em>

"We're trying to establish a legal and personal relationship with our son, Esme. We never signed away our parental rights. Ryan loves you and Carlisle, and I don't want to take him out of your lives, but I want him in ours. Can you understand that?" My tone was slightly pleading.

"_I see. Well, we will do what can to help you build a personal relationship with him, but he's our son, too. I've been the one that has raised him, nursed him through the flu, and helped with his homework. You can't take him away from me. I won't let you."_ Esme wasn't being hateful; she was just letting me know where she stood.

"Ryan's very lucky to have two sets of parents that love him and want the best for him," I said as diplomatically as I could.

"_Yes, he is. Anyway, I'll let you get back to your evening. Let me know what your dad says so we can plan appropriately." _She didn't even wait for me to respond. She just hung up.

I stared at the handset in my hand, wondering what exactly had just happened.

"Bella?" Edward asked, worried.

I recounted the conversation to Edward and watched his brow furrow.

"It's going to get harder from here, Bella," he said with a heavy sigh. "We're going to have to decide what we want both for us and for Ryan and stick to it."

"I just don't know what the right thing is," I complained. "Part of me thinks that it would be best for him if we gave him one home and let the other set of parents be invited to big events. But I know we'd be devastated if we were the parents that only got to be around for the holidays. The other part thinks that it should be treated like a divorce situation with joint custody."

"There's no other option, is there?"

I shook my head. "Not one that would be fair to Ryan, the Cullens, or us."

"I don't just want him for every other holiday and two weeks during the summer," Edward argued, knowing that had been the arrangement my own parents were supposed to follow.

"We don't live in a different state, so that should make a difference. We can do weekends and school breaks, too," I suggested.

Edward made a face. "How about I call Aron tomorrow?"

I nodded my head and laughed weakly, suddenly exhausted. Instead of continuing with our heavy conversation, we cleaned up our half-eaten dinner and retreated to the couch, where we spent the next two hours watching our favorite shows on the DVR.

Thursday was nerve-wracking. I knew that Marjorie would be at my house shortly after I got home from work, and I wanted to give her a good impression of both me and my apartment. I wanted it to be a place she thought was safe for Ryan. I was also anxiously awaiting a call from Edward on how his visit went.

I jumped when my phone rang at one, a full hour before Mrs. Hollings was due to arrive at his place. It wasn't Edward on the other end of the line, though.

"Aron? What can I do for you?" I asked as I answered the call.

"_Why did you tell me that you knew nothing about the adoption?" _he practically growled.

"Because I didn't?" I said, though it sounded more like a question, even to me.

"_Dr. Swan, I told you that you had to be totally honest with me if we were going to be successful. I am holding the adoption records for Ryan Parker Cullen, and imagine my surprise when I see forms in here, signed by both you and Edward, relinquishing your parental rights. They're notarized!" _he shouted into my ear.

"I never signed anything," I swore. "I wasn't even allowed to sign my own medical forms, because I was under eighteen."

Aron didn't speak for several moments. _"Bella, I realize that Bob Gerandy committed several crimes in this case, but are you telling me that he committed forgery, as well? That he went so far as to get a notary to falsify the document?"_

"I don't know, Aron, but I do know that I didn't sign it. Can you fax it over here so I can see my supposed signature?"

"_Yeah. Let me know, okay? We're getting some push back from the Cullens now, and this isn't going to help our case if it's genuine,"_ he said tiredly. _"I can see now why they've been content to agree to visitations and such. They honestly didn't believe you had grounds to remove him, despite Bob Gerandy's admission that he kidnapped Ryan."_

"It's not genuine, Aron. There's no way it is. If you send them both over, I'll find something with our signatures from the time so you can compare them." I knew I had some notes that Edward had sent me while we were still in high school stashed with my other keepsakes.

Aron's fax came through minutes later, and as soon as I saw the paperwork, I laughed loudly, causing Chelsea to look up at me in alarm. Anyone that knew me would know this wasn't my signature. While the other girls my age had been doing their best to make their letters as big and bubbly as possible, my writing was small and slanted. The signature on the release form looked more like Jessica Stanley's than mine.

Edward's wasn't much better, though his was at least passable. I sighed and picked up the phone.

"Hey, Dad. Do you have anything I might have signed while I still lived at home?" I asked when Charlie picked up.

"_Uh, yeah, I'm sure I do, kid. What's going on?"_

"I just got a call from our attorney. There are signed forms in the adoption file supposedly relinquishing our parental rights. I have to provide some evidence that they aren't our signatures," I explained.

"_How would they have gotten those, Bella?"_ He sounded uncharacteristically stern. Charlie didn't often use his Police Chief voice on me, but he was doing so now.

"I don't know, Dad, but I know that this doesn't look anything like my signature ever has." I looked at it again. "It looks like it was written by a ten-year-old teeny bopper."

Dad laughed. _"I'm sure I have something around here. Can you send me a copy of that for the report? Those weren't in the copy I received."_

"I'll have Aron send you a copy of the whole file, in case there's something else," I promised, mentally typing the email.

Dad agreed that it was fine, and we ended the call.

When I returned to my desk, I sent two emails: one to Aron, asking him to forward the adoption file, and one to Edward, explaining what new evidence had turned up. I didn't have time for anything more than that, as my patient arrived and demanded my attention for the next hour.

My last appointment ran long, and I was rushing to get home to tidy up before Mrs. Hollings arrived. Fortunately, Alice or someone had picked up the breakfast dishes that morning, and there wasn't much to be done.

Mrs. Hollings gave the apartment a cursory examination, asking about the sleeping arrangements and space available. The sofa in the living room pulled out into a queen sized bed, which I shared with her. We talked about what had occurred when I was seventeen and how the visits with Ryan had gone over the last few weeks.

She was very professional, but seemed pleased with what she learned. We chatted about some inconsequential matters, before she shook my hand and left. I called Edward after the door closed, only to hear his ringtone outside.

He wasted no time in opening the door. "That was nerve-wracking," he said with a sigh, falling onto the couch next to me. "Now what's this about the adoption file?"

I gave a half-hearted chuckle and shoved up from the couch. I retrieved the papers from my purse and handed them over, before going back to my room and pulling the box of my memories from the top shelf. The box remained closed and packed away most of the time—the memories had always hurt too much to relive, even once Edward came back into my life. Gently, I lifted out a picture of Edward and me at our fall homecoming, just before I'd gotten pregnant, and stared at it. It was a token of happy times, but I honestly couldn't say that I wasn't happier now. With that thought in mind, I gingerly lifted the small blanket I'd squirreled away when Charlie had purged the house of baby stuff. The satin trim was as fresh as the day it had been made.

Once it was free of the box, the rest of the memories I'd scraped together and hidden before I left home were revealed. Letters, pictures, ticket stubs, and a Valentine's Day card lined the bottom. With a smile, I picked up the Valentine's Day card and lost myself in the memory of the day Edward had given it to me.

_I was five months pregnant, and my belly had recently reached the point that my "condition" was obvious to anyone that saw me. With many in our community so disapproving, Edward had put together an indoor picnic for us in his parents' basement. They had gone out for the evening to celebrate Valentine's Day, as well, so we had the house all to ourselves for once. _

"_This looks wonderful," I said shyly, staring at the blanket and pillows arranged artfully on the floor and the candles set around the room. _

_Edward blushed and shoved his hands in the pockets of the khaki slacks he'd worn for the occasion. Alice had encouraged me to buy a stretchy dress at the maternity store in Port Angeles the weekend before, because I didn't have anything else nice to wear. Underneath the silky fabric, my stomach rumbled—loudly. _

"_Hungry, baby?" Edward laughed. _

"_This child of yours eats like you do," I accused playfully. "I'm always hungry."_

_He held out his hand and helped me down to one of the fluffy pillows. Once I was seated with my legs folded underneath me, Edward plopped down next to me and opened the picnic basket. He pulled out some fruit, chicken salad sandwiches, chips, and bottles of water. "It's not much," he lamented, "but I made the chicken salad using my mother's recipe; I know it's your favorite."_

_Other than family meals at the Masen house, it had been years since someone had made me a meal. "It's perfect," I whispered, tears of happiness and gratitude leaking from my eyes. "Thank you."_

_Edward smiled, used to my emotional outbursts at that point, and wiped away my tears. "You're welcome, sweetheart. Now, let's get you two fed."_

_We ate together, laughing, talking, and hoping for the future. After the last of the homemade brownies were gone, Edward handed me a small package and a card. _

"_It's not much," he said, somewhat embarrassed. "I know we said that we weren't going to do anything so we could save for the baby, but I couldn't not get you something."_

_I opened the card first, surprised to find what Edward usually called "sappy stuff," instead of the humorous cards I'd gotten in the past. Inside, he'd added his own note. _

_Bella, I love you so much, and though the timing sucks, I couldn't be happier that you are having my baby. The two of you are more important to me than anything in the world. I can't wait to start our life together. _

_Love, Edward_

_I kissed him and ripped open the paper on the small box. A silver necklace was resting inside—a small heart nestled in a larger one, reminding me of the smaller heart beating inside of me. Edward's fingers trembled slightly as he lifted it out and fastened it around my neck. _

"_It's beautiful, Edward," I whispered, looking down to where it rested just above my now fuller breasts. _

"_You're beautiful," he breathed into my ear. _

_I turned my head a fraction to the right and brushed my lips against his. With my ramped up hormones, it didn't take much more than that to get me going, and as a seventeen-year-old boy, Edward never needed much more. He shifted and laid me back so that my head rested against the pillow, and then covered my body with his. _

_While we kissed, Edward's hands roamed over my silky body. He paused over my expanding belly and pulled back to look me in the eye. _

"_This is our baby, Isabella. We did this," he breathed in awe. "Next week, we'll know for sure if it's a boy or girl, and the three of us will start our life soon. God, I love you."_

"_I love you, too," I said with a watery smile, the tears welling up again. _

_Edward winked. "None of that now." _

_He kissed me again and let his hand move upward. I moaned as his hand found my breast, all sad thoughts forgotten. I snaked my hands down and grabbed his ass, pushing my hips into him at the same time. His answering groan spiked my lust even more. Soon, my dress was pulled up over my head and Edward's shirt was unbuttoned and hanging open. We could barely separate long enough to get our clothes off, but we managed eventually. _

_It wasn't the most comfortable of places that we'd made love, but it was certainly one of the most memorable. He drew my oversized panties down my legs and kissed his way back up the inside of my legs. When he finally got to my core, I was so worked up that it didn't take long for his tongue to have me thrashing against the restraining hands on my hips. _

"_Unh, Edward, please," I begged, feeling my orgasm coming closer, but he wasn't giving me enough to push me over the edge. _

_Edward grinned up at me from between my legs and shed his boxers quickly. I barely had time to ogle his naked body before he sheathed himself inside me. Over and over again, he drove into me, and he brought me over the edge twice before he came. _

"I remember that card," Edward said quietly from the doorway, pulling me out of my memories. I blushed, and he smirked. "I can't believe you still have it. Whatever happened to the necklace I gave you?"

I vividly remembered the day I'd discovered it was missing. I'd cried for hours. "The clasp broke while I was wearing it, and it fell off somewhere on campus," I told him. "I was working on my Master's thesis and had been running around like crazy, so I didn't notice until later."

"What inspired you to go through your box tonight? Did something else happen today?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Actually, I was looking for this." I held up the card. "It has your signature on it."

I took his hand and led him back out to the living room, leaving everything spread out on my bed. I grabbed the sheet showing Edward's signature and held the card up next to it. The two signatures weren't even remotely similar.

"That should satisfy Aron on mine," he said with a wry chuckle. "Do you have anything of yours?"

"No, but Charlie said he did." I handed him the sheet with my supposed signature on it. "Does that look like anything I've ever written?"

"No, it looks more like Jessica Stanley's!"

We shared a laugh, but it was resigned. It didn't seem to matter what we did; there was always another stumbling block. This was just one more example of things being thrown up in our path to be together.

"Hey, I have an idea," Edward mentioned a few minutes later while we were lying in bed. "Why don't we see if your dad can come up early? We could take Ryan to see the two houses and see which one he likes best."

"I'll call Charlie in the morning. That sounds like a great idea to me." I kissed him and snuggled into his arms. I drifted off to sleep, once again reminiscing about our first relationship.

Friday was relatively uneventful, other than Charlie's early morning fax. I'd written him a letter when I asked to come live with him at the beginning of my freshman year. My handwriting hadn't changed much since then, so he was submitting it to the FBI as further evidence of Dr. Gerandy's crimes. He also confirmed that he was willing to come early, if Esme and Carlisle were agreeable, so we could spend as much time as possible with Ryan. Edward called Maggie and set up times to go see the houses before the games started.

By Friday afternoon, Aron let me know that he was satisfied with the evidence against the adoption papers and reported that Marjorie Hollings had given us a glowing verbal report as satisfactory people for Ryan to spend time with. She did say that Ryan loved the Cullens and was uncomfortable with the idea of leaving them permanently, but he seemed to like Edward and me.

My patients seemed to be stir crazy and ready for the weekend. I tried to keep them on track as best as I could, but my own preoccupation with Ryan's upcoming visit allowed my usual tight control to slip. I didn't think that any of them really noticed.

While I was getting ready to go to Edward's house, my cell phone rang, and I had to run to the other end of the apartment to get it before the call rolled to voicemail.

"Hello?" I answered, breathless.

"_Bella, it's Esme." _Her tone was clipped and cautious. _"Did I call at a bad time?"_

"No, not at all, Esme. I was just in the other room. How are you tonight?" I asked conversationally, trying to diffuse the tension.

"_Hmm, I've been better," _she answered vaguely. _"Your father called today and asked if he and Ryan could leave here about six o'clock Saturday morning. I thought the game was in the afternoon. Have the plans changed?"_

"Oh no, it is. We were just hoping that Ryan could spend a little more time up here with us that day, since I won't be able to go to the game with him."

"_Ah." _I could almost feel the tension lift slightly. _"I hadn't even thought of that. What are you planning to do?"_

I knew I needed to tread carefully, because I didn't want to give her the wrong impression. "Well, Edward and I are looking at houses, and we've narrowed it down to two. Edward's apartment is too small for both of us, and I live with my best friend, Alice, so we're getting a place of our own," I explained. "We were hoping to get Ryan's input on which one he liked better. We want him to have his own space when he comes to see us."

"_You . . . you want his input on your house?"_ she asked with shock and a touch of fear.

"We're hoping this visit isn't a one-time thing, Esme," I said quietly. "Ryan loves you and Carlisle, and at least for now, having him in a home that's familiar and comfortable is the best thing for him. But we don't want him to feel like a visitor in our home, either. He's our son, too."

The line was silent for several seconds. _"I guess I can see that," _she said, her voice tight once again.

"Is there anything I need to know for tomorrow? Does Ryan have any allergies or is there any food he doesn't particularly like? Or something that he does?" I asked nervously. These were things that I should just know as his mother, and to feel so out of sorts with my own son made me sad and angry all at once.

Esme sighed. _"No allergies to speak of. He eats almost everything, except for peas. He isn't particularly fond of those. I'm sorry, Bella. This is just really hard for me. I feel like you're trying to take my baby away from me."_

"Esme, if you and Carlisle hadn't been such wonderful parents, I wouldn't hesitate to go to any lengths to remove him from you. But that's not the case. He's clearly happy and grounded. He loves you very much. It would only hurt _him_ if we ripped him out of your lives." While the words intensified my sadness, I felt the truth of them.

"_Thank you,"_ she whispered. _"I'll call your dad and tell him I'll have Ryan ready. He's super excited about tomorrow."_

"Thank you, Esme. Call me if you feel the need to check in," I offered. There had been so many times I had wanted to call her just to see how Ryan was, and I knew this would be a difficult day for her.

"_I appreciate that. I'll try not to pester you too much,"_ she laughed.

We hung up, and I sank into my kitchen, unable to believe it was all coming together and unwilling to suppress the hope and excitement blooming in my heart. Tomorrow, our son would be with us for the first time, and we'd make our first decision as a family.

**So, you've all been asking how the court could have viewed the adoption as legal and this is why. There are affidavits saying that they gave up their rights. And a little bit of their history! Hope you enjoyed. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. Someone else owns the Mariners, and I own this plot. Good, now that's out of the way. **

**A/N: Thank you to JenRar for betaing this. If you haven't read her AU story, Full Circle, go do that when you finish this chapter. It's just started, but as her beta whose read the whole thing, I can promise you that it's great. **

**Thank you to everyone that took the time to read and review. I'm working hard to get this finished, so I didn't get to reply to everyone, but I do read them all and take each word to heart. **

**Chapter 20**

On Saturday morning, I woke early. My back was sore, and I had a crick in my neck from sleeping curled up against the arm of the couch all night. Edward was still typing away at the bank of computers in his living room; it didn't look like he'd been able to sleep. The smell of fresh coffee permeated the air, so it seemed that caffeine would get him through the day, if nothing else.

"I just made a fresh pot," he said without looking up from his screen. "Also, your dad called about two hours ago, just after he picked up Ryan. They should be at your apartment around ten."

"Will you be ready to go by then?" I asked.

"Go on and shower. I'll be done here in about forty-five minutes." His attention still didn't waiver, so I left him to his work and padded in my sock-covered feet back to his tiny bathroom. As I waited for the hot water to sluice through the ancient pipes, I pondered that no matter what house we chose, I certainly wouldn't miss this place.

I had precisely ten minutes to shower before the ancient hot water heater gave out and the water ran cold. As Edward was accustomed to short showers, this never bothered him, but it took me a lot longer to rinse the shampoo and conditioner from my hair. Needless to say, I was shivering by the time I got out. His fluffy, beige towels only did so much to warm me while I combed my hair and completed my morning rituals.

Once I was fully dressed, I strolled back into the living room to find Edward hunched over his laptop, listening to something intently through his headphones. I skirted around him and went straight for the coffee maker. He'd also gotten me out a bagel at some point, and I ate it quickly, though the butterflies in my stomach made it hard.

By the time he was finished, I was so nervous that I could hardly stand still. He was kind enough not to make fun of me, but I suspected that it was only because he felt the same way; he just hid it better than I did.

Dad's police cruiser pulled up outside at ten minutes until ten, just a few minutes after Edward and I had gotten to my apartment. Ryan stepped out of the car as fast as he could and ran for the lobby door before my dad could catch up. It wasn't as if he knew where he was going, but I smiled at the idea that he might be as eager to see us as we were to see him.

"Did you have a good drive up?" I asked him as I opened the door with a smile.

He threw himself into my arms and hugged me tightly.

"I thought we'd never get here," he whispered. "He drives like an old man!"

I laughed loudly, having once had the same thought. "He is a police officer," I reminded him. "He's supposed to set a good example."

"Psh," he scoffed. "I just wanted to get here sometime today."

I kissed the top of Ryan's head and squeezed him a little tighter, enjoying the feeling of having my son in my arms again. Too soon for my liking, he wiggled out of my embrace and dashed toward Edward, who had been waiting patiently right behind me. They did some complicated hand shake they'd created at Ryan's party, and Edward hugged him close. If there was ever to be a picture of pure happiness, it would have been a replica of Edward's face right then. But being boys, the moment didn't last long.

"'Bout time you showed up," Edward teased my dad. "We've got places to go and people to see."

"The game isn't for hours," Ryan informed Edward.

Edward smirked. "Yeah, so? There're some other things we want to show you while you're here."

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Yeah?"

I chuckled. "Don't get too excited, kiddo. We're going to see houses, not the Space Needle." I got everyone a bottle of water and ushered them back out the door, knowing that we only had a few minutes to make it to the first one.

Ryan's face was the picture of concentration as he belted himself into the backseat with me. It seemed like something was bothering him, and once he asked his question, I was sure that I was right. "Why are we looking at houses?"

"Well," I explained patiently, "Edward and I are moving. We wanted to get a house with enough room for a family, and we wanted your opinion."

His brow crinkled, and he sighed. "Does that mean I'm going to live with you all the time? That lady that came to my house the other day asked me if I wanted to."

As much as I wanted to press him to say that he did want to, I knew based on my conversation with Aron that I wouldn't hear the answer my heart wanted. "No, not unless you want to, but we want for you to be able to come visit and have a room of your own when you do."

"Can it be a Star Wars room?" he bargained, brightening considerably.

Edward laughed from the front seat. "We'll see. Who knows . . . After today, you might want a Mariners room instead."

Ryan's expression told me that he highly doubted that was going to happen, but he kept his mouth shut—at least until we pulled up in front of the first house; then, his mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Whoa, this place is cool!" He threw open the back door and climbed out so he could see it better.

The outside of the house _was_ cool. The façade was stone, and it had been made to look kind of like a castle. It even had ivy climbing the walls. The only thing I thought it was missing was the turret. Maggie was standing in the open front door, and Ryan didn't hesitate to run inside. Edward and I could easily track where he was by the footfalls echoing off the walls.

We made another trip through the house, just so our comparison would be fresh, and listened to Dad's comments. With his home ownership experience, he was able to spot several things that would need to be repaired or replaced within a few years. The kitchen still disappointed me, but Edward promised that if this was the house we chose, we'd put down a smaller down payment and remodel the kitchen before we moved in.

When we finally caught up to Ryan, he was standing in the hallway between two rooms, looking back and forth critically. "I can't decide which room I like better. That one's bigger, but this one faces the backyard."

"What do you think about the rest of the house, Ry?" Edward asked, trying to redirect his attention.

"I like it," he answered blandly.

"Okay, then, on to the next one," I declared.

Maggie shook her head and laughed at Ryan's enthusiasm as he bounded out the door and jumped into the car. On the way to the next house, Edward and I listened while Charlie and Ryan debated the house's merits. Neither of them liked the kitchen, either.

The last house was more modern in style than the previous one and was only about ten years old. As we had in the last house, we gave Ryan free rein to check it out and gave Dad the tour. Other than a couple of comments about exposed pipes in the basement and a cracked tub, he seemed to like it better than the other one, as well.

"Hey!" Ryan yelled from upstairs. "Come check this out!" When we got to him, he was standing in one of the bedrooms, gazing out over the backyard. "I want this room. It even has a balcony."

"So you like this one, huh?" I asked with a smile.

"The outside of the other one was better, but yeah, this one is totally cool. We can have movie nights down in the basement, and if I have friends over, we could camp out down there." He was busy checking out the closet when he said it, so he missed the sharp look Edward and I exchanged. Ryan was planning on making friends and being here more than just every once in a while.

It took another fifteen minutes to extract Ryan from the house. Edward promised to call Maggie the following day to go over potential offers, while I herded both Ryan and Charlie into the car. Talk centered on the house for a few minutes, until Ryan caught sight of the clock.

"When do we need to go to the field?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject from painting swiftly.

"Not for another two hours, buddy," Edward answered. "Bella's going to make us some lunch before we go."

"What are you going to do while we're at the game?" he asked me.

I smiled at his thoughtfulness. "I'll stay home and watch it on TV," I told him. "Who knows? You might catch a fly ball, and I'll see you."

His eyes widened. "That's why you told me grab my glove?" he asked Charlie in wonder. "Do you really think I might?"

"Sure, kid, anything's possible," Charlie responded. I could hear his grin in his voice. He finally had someone that would enjoy it as much as he would.

For the rest of the trip home and while I baked the pizza, Ryan gave us a run-down of his favorite Mariners players. And while he ate his pizza, he asked Charlie and Edward as many questions as he could think of about the ballpark.

Charlie was practically crawling out of his skin. He wasn't used to such a talkative kid, but I could see his pride and love. He was dealing with it in the only way he knew how—letting Edward field as many of the questions as he could. Dad followed the two of them out, chuckling as he listened to Ryan theorizing about what incredible things could happen during the game.

"Have fun, kid," Dad said with a wink. He kissed me on the cheek and slid into the passenger's seat of Edward's car.

Ryan was already in the back seat, and I could see him continuing with his monologue. Edward smiled at me through the windshield, doing his best not to laugh at our son.

There was a huge letdown for me as I watched them drive away. I wouldn't get to see my son for two more weeks , other than dinner when they returned, and I didn't feel like I'd gotten to see much of him. He was so thrilled, though, about getting to watch the game live that I couldn't begrudge him. I would just have to make sure I got my time in when I saw him again in two weeks.

I marinated the steaks for dinner while I waited for the game to come on, and then deposited myself on the couch for the pre-game run down. Luckily, I had a new book that was calling my name. I read that while the game played in the background. Surprisingly, the Mariners won, but I never got to see my boys on television.

As soon as the last out was called, I threw the steaks in the broiler and finished up the sides and the salad. Everything was plated and ready when I heard the front door open and three guys walk in, all talking excitedly—even Charlie.

Edward winced when he took in the kitchen table. "You made dinner?"

My face fell, and my shoulders sagged. "The three of you ate at the ballpark, didn't you?" I asked, defeated. With a sigh, I moved the plates over to the counter and started to clean up.

"No, don't do that," Edward said pleadingly with a hand on my arm.

"If no one else is hungry, there's no need for the three of you to just stare at your plates. I should have thought about it," I said quietly.

"Ma, it's my fault. Don't be mad. I just wanted a real ballpark hot dog, and then I had to try the nachos," Ryan said.

I froze, the plate in my hand wobbling wildly. Wide-eyed, Edward took the plate from me and set it on the counter.

"It's okay, Ry," I whispered thickly. I was trying to stave off the tears, but I was sure they were going to come crashing down my cheeks at any moment.

Ryan ran forward and hugged me hard. "I'm sorry I ruined dinner," he whispered into my shirt.

My hands rubbed up and down his back. "You didn't, sweetheart. It's okay."

"Then why are you crying?" he asked.

How was I supposed to tell my son that I was crying because he called me "Ma"? "Um, sometimes girls cry happy tears, Ryan," I tried to explain.

"You're happy I ate a hot dog and nachos?" Ryan said cluelessly. "Man, I'm never going to understand grown-ups." He pulled away and walked back into the other room.

I wanted to run after him, but I still didn't know what to say.

"I've got it," Edward said sweetly, winking at me. With his long strides, he made it into the living room in just a few steps. Ryan was sitting on the couch with his arms crossed, staring at the television that I'd left on. I couldn't hear what Edward said to him, as they were talking in low voices, but Ryan's defensive stance lowered, and his eyes flashed toward the kitchen.

Charlie didn't say much. He put his hand on my shoulder—his preferred method of comfort—and gave me a small smile. It had always been this way with us. My mother was as scatterbrained as they came, and . . . _oh, God, my mother._

Renee had called earlier in the week, and with everything going on, I just hadn't found the time to call her back. The last time I'd talked to her, Phil's ball team was doing well and looked to be favorites for the state tournament. Mom had always been super supportive of the boys and went to their games when she was able, but she wasn't known for her patience. By the third game on the road, she was usually looking for an excuse to go home or to come visit me. I resolved to call her as soon as Charlie and Ryan got on the road.

Through my mental haze, I saw Edward motioning me into the living room. I took a deep breath and joined my boys on the couch.

"Is it all right if I call you Ma?" Ryan asked tentatively. "I don't really feel right calling you Bella."

I leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Sure it is, sweetheart. How did you come up with that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I Googled other names for Mom, and that seemed like the best one, I guess. I didn't really like any of the other names for Dad, though, so you're just Dad, too," Ryan told Edward.

Edward grinned. "I'm sure Carlisle and I can figure out who you're talking to."

"Cool." Ryan bobbed his head slightly.

Silence fell over the lot of us. Charlie broke it by clearing his throat.

"We're going to have to head out soon if we want to make it home before it gets too late," he informed us.

Ryan looked disappointed. "We can't tell them that the weather was too bad and just stay?"

I tried to hold in my giddy laugh and act like the responsible adult I was supposed to be. "I wish you could, Ry, but that would be dishonest, and I'd rather stay in their good graces so you can come back again."

"O-kay," he said glumly, drawing out the word. "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom before we leave."

He'd only been back there for a minute or so, when I heard a thumping sound. "Do you think he's all right?" I asked Edward.

"Yeah." He looked at me like I was crazy. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"I just heard a noise from in there," I said, as if it was the most obvious answer in the whole world.

Edward gave me a strange look. "That noise came from outside, Bella, not the bathroom."

Sure enough, there was a light knock on the door seconds later. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I opened the door cautiously. There, on the other side, stood my mother, with three suitcases around her feet.

"Oh, good, you are here. I didn't see your car parked out front. Charlie's cruiser is in your usual spot. Is he here?" she said conversationally, as if she hadn't just turned up on my doorstep unannounced.

"Uh, yeah," I said dumbly, stepping to the side so she could see him.

"Hi, Charlie. Really, Bella, could you help me get these in?" she asked somewhat testily.

I grabbed the suitcase nearest me and hauled it into the living room. "What are you doing here, Mom?" I finally asked.

"Oh, Phil's team is playing in Spokane this week, and I couldn't stand another two days on bleachers. After they won this morning, I told Phil I was coming down to see you until the tournament is over. You didn't have plans, did you?" She looked so innocent standing there, as if it never occurred to her that her interruption might be unwelcome.

I never had a chance to answer.

"Ma!" Ryan shouted from the bathroom. "There's no toilet paper!"

My head fell into my hand as I tried to cope with the dizzying circumstances.

"I'll get it for him," Edward mumbled, and then escaped the room.

Renee's eyes darted from Edward's retreating back, to my face, to Charlie's in rapid succession. When neither Charlie nor I were forthcoming with an explanation, she demanded one. "Well? Isn't anyone going to explain why there's some kid here shouting for his mother? And where is his mother?"

Charlie smirked at me, and I saw his mustache twitch in amusement. He held out his hand, as if telling me that this one was all mine.

I delayed long enough that Edward and Ryan emerged from the hallway before I could tell her. She eyed Ryan curiously, and then turned back to me.

"Mom, this is Ryan. Ryan, this is my mother," I said by way of introduction. If I was hoping that my mother would have gotten a clue from his name and the fact that he looked just like Edward, I was sorely mistaken.

Ryan nodded his head at her since she didn't come any closer to him. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too," she said dismissively. "You still haven't answered my questions, Bella. Who is this kid, and why is he here?"

The deep breath I took wasn't enough to quell the ire that was rising in me at her attitude. "This is our son, Ryan. He's here visiting for the day." It was all I could get out without losing my temper.

She scoffed, and I knew we were about to be treated to another instance of my mother demonstrating her profound lack of tact. "The last time I checked, you didn't have a son. I never realized you wanted to be a mother so much."

Ryan took a half a step back and looked between us warily.

"If you'd been around at all, you would know better," I shot back, my voice low and deceptively calm.

She gave me a hurt look, as if I had just insulted her. "Isabella Marie," she tried to scold.

"Renee Ann," I said, cutting her off. "If you will excuse us for a few minutes, we need to see Ryan and Charlie off." I motioned for them to join me outside, and when he got close enough, I pulled Ryan into my side so that Edward and I were flanking him. He still looked a little confused.

"My mom's a little . . . out there," I tried to explain.

Edward snorted. "Ryan, Renee lives in her own world. It's best to just nod, smile, and ignore most of what she says."

"Did she not want you to have me?" he asked.

I hugged him and smiled. "She just wasn't ready to be a grandma. It's nothing against you, buddy. She wasn't ready to be my mother, either."

"Oh." He nodded like he understood, but for a kid that had always been loved like a child should have been, I didn't think he truly did. Of course, he'd spent five years believing we hadn't wanted him, so maybe he had a better clue than I thought.

"Mmmm," I said, squeezing him tightly, "I'm going to miss you."

He hugged me back with equal fervor. "Will I see you next weekend?"

"Not next weekend, but the weekend after," Edward told him as he pried Ryan off me to get his own hug. "I have to go play soldier next weekend."

"Okay. I'll think of something fun for us to do when you come down," Ryan said decisively.

"Whatever you want, kiddo," Edward responded with a smile. "You know you can call us anytime with that new phone of yours, right?"

Ryan's face lit up. "Oh yeah!"

I grinned and shook my head. "Get in and buckle up. The Chief's ready to go." I walked to the driver's door, where my dad was standing. "Love you, Daddy. Thanks for bringing him."

"It was my pleasure, Bells," he whispered, giving me a one armed hug, before ducking into the driver's seat.

"Be safe," I called as my dad started the engine and put the car in reverse.

All the way out of the parking lot, Ryan waved like mad to us. It hurt so much to watch him go, even with the love of my life and my rock standing beside me.

"Come on," he said when the car was finally out of sight. "Let's go deal with Renee."

**So, a lot happened this chapter. How happy are you with Ryan's names for them? How much do you want to punch Renee right in the face?**

**I finally decided to do Ryan's POV for the Stolen Dreams outtake for FandomAJD. Please, donate, enjoy the compilation. There are tons of great authors that are donating to this worthy cause and I guarantee that you'll love it. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada. I've said it all already. See the other 100 chapters up here. **

**A/N: Thank you. There are not words to describe how much I appreciate each and every one of you. Stolen Dreams has now surpassed my first story, What Happens In Vegas, in reviews, and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to read each and every one. I must also have the best readers in the fandom as well because I haven't gotten the grief that others have and for that, I thank you also. We authors put our hearts on the line with each chapter and that is where your words live for us. And just remember in the immortal words of Thumper's mom, "If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all."**

**To clarify a few things before we get started: Jessica had nothing to do with the kidnapping. She's just the typical teenage girl that puts hearts on her I's and writes in big, bubbly handwriting. No one in Forks, other than Angela, Gerandy, Charlie and Alice, knew that the baby died. Gerandy and Susan Mallory spread the word that she'd agreed to the adoption and since the Swan's were so isolated in their grief, they didn't hear it. The Cullens did not knowingly participate in illegal activity. It is common to pay between $30,000 and $70,000 for a private adoption with some of the money being given to the mother for medical expenses. **

**As always, thank you to JenRar (Jenny Cullen) for being the world's best beta. I couldn't do it without her. And if you have PMs disabled, I cannot reply to your review. **

**Chapter 21**

To Renee's credit, she listened to the entire story from start to finish without interruption. She even gasped and teared up in all of the appropriate places. When we were done, she asked what our plans were where Ryan was concerned and encouraged us to not just settle for visitation on holidays. She also apologized for showing up unannounced and for her attitude when she arrived.

"You were so sad after the baby died," she told me, putting her hand on mine. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt again or try to use another kid to fill the loss. It was so hard to watch you fold in on yourself and know there was nothing I could do."

"But you didn't watch me," I pointed out. "You weren't there."

Her eyes were sad as she looked at me. "I thought about it. Charlie said you were so despondent that he didn't even know if you knew he was around. Maybe if I had come . . . I don't know. You didn't want me there—God knows I'm not good with comforting—so I left Phil on the road, went home, and stayed in contact with your dad. Later, I thought it would be better if I just didn't bring it up, that it would help you get over it."

"I didn't," I said unnecessarily.

"I see that." Renee stared at her hands. "How long have you known?"

"About a month," Edward answered for me. He'd wrapped his arm around my shoulder while I told Renee about Ryan, and now, he offered me more comfort against what he sensed was coming.

Renee sighed. "Why didn't you tell me, Bella? I'm your mother. And now I feel terrible because I was rude to your son!"

I shrugged. "Honestly? I didn't think you'd care. You didn't want to be part of his life when he was born. Why would now be any different?"

She gaped at me, and then chuckled uncomfortably. "You must truly believe that I am the worst mother in history. Yes, I thought you were too young to raise a child. I'd been there. I was too young when I had you, but I would have supported you all I could. Just like I'll support you now."

"Thanks, Mom," I said weakly, not sure if I believed her, but appreciating the words nevertheless. "Um, I have steaks in the kitchen if you're hungry." My own stomach was rumbling, because I hadn't gotten hot dogs and nachos during the game.

"God, baby, I'm sorry," Edward rushed out, as if he'd just realized that dinner wasn't just for them. "You were waiting for us to eat, weren't you?"

"I'll eat now. Mom, you want to join me?"

Renee nodded and followed Edward and me into the kitchen. I quickly heated two of the plates and set them on the table. Edward grabbed a third for himself. It felt a little weird to be sitting around the kitchen table and just chatting about Phil's team and both of our jobs like this was a normal visit after the heaviness of our conversation in the other room, but we did it for almost an hour. The clock showed that it was after ten when I started cleaning up the table and Renee was yawning.

"Do you mind if I stay here until tomorrow afternoon?" she asked. "I didn't mean to intrude."

And that was the thing with my mother. She _didn't _mean to intrude. It never crossed her mind that I might not be here and willing to drop everything to spend time with her. She free-wheeled through life, landing only long enough to regroup.

"Of course not, Mom," I said tiredly. "I'll make up the couch for you."

Edward loaded the dishwasher, but he looked lost in thought. It looked like he was warring with himself over something. I went into the hall closet, grabbed the pull-out sheets and stacked them on the arm of the couch. Before Edward and I went to bed, we could get it out for her, but she could make it up herself.

"Hey, baby," Edward said in a low voice as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. "I think I'm going to take off."

I whirled around and glared at him. "Don't leave me here alone with her! Please."

"Whoa." He looked taken aback. "What's this about? I thought things were okay now." He ran his hands soothingly up and down my sides.

I dropped my head onto his shoulder. "They are . . . sort of. I just know that she's going to want to be gossipy and girly or she's going to want to talk about him, and I'm just not up for it." I looked up in time to see him grimace.

"All right, I'll stay," he agreed reluctantly. "I'll have to head home sometime tomorrow, though. It's going to be a busy week at the office, since both Jasper and I are gone next weekend."

I kissed him in thanks, and he grasped onto my hand as we went back into the living room to tell my mother goodnight. She already had the sofa bed pulled out and made up, her pajamas and robe were on, and she was clearly ready for bed.

"Good night, you two," she said through a yawn. "I'm sorry I can't hang out any longer. Phil's had me up at the crack of dawn every day for two weeks."

"That's fine, Mom. We didn't get much sleep last night, either. Edward had to work late. We'll see you in the morning," I told her as I gave her a hug.

She'd crawled underneath the covers before Edward and I even made it out of the room. When we got into my room, Edward fished out a t-shirt and a pair of sleep pants I didn't even know he owned. Since he usually slept only in his boxer briefs, I cocked my head to the side and gave him a strange look.

"I don't trust her not to barge in here in the morning," he hissed. "Again!"

I laughed, remembering the instance he was talking about. My mom had been to visit shortly after we'd gotten back together, and she hadn't realized that Edward had stayed the night. When she woke up, she'd poured us both a cup of coffee and breezed into my room to wake me like she owned the place. Renee had been so surprised when she leaned over a bare male shoulder instead of mine, she'd yelped loudly, and then spilled the coffee all over him.

"It wasn't funny," he whisper-yelled. "It really fucking hurt!"

"Yeah, but the look on both of your faces was priceless," I defended, still chuckling. "I don't think she'll ever come into my room unannounced again."

"I'm still not chancing it," he grumbled, marching into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

I threw on a pair of pajamas and waited for him to come out so I could brush my teeth. It didn't take long for him to reappear, and after I brushed my teeth, I came back out to find him already asleep underneath the covers.

In an effort not to disturb him, since I knew he hadn't slept much, if at all, the night before, I carefully climbed in on my side of the bed. Edward's arm shot out and dragged me backwards so that I was spooned against his already warm body. And just like that, I let the events of the day go and fell fast asleep.

Edward was still asleep when I woke on my own about eight the next morning. I could hear someone, presumably my mother or Alice, banging around in the kitchen, so I got up and went to investigate. The couch bed was no longer extended, and the sheets were nowhere in sight. My mother, however, was standing over the coffee pot, looking perplexed.

"Morning, Mom," I said softly so as not to startle her. It didn't work.

She jumped at the sound of my voice and turned to face me with her hand over her heart. "Goodness, Bella, you scared me! I didn't wake you, did I? I was trying to be quiet."

"No, we usually don't sleep this late, even on the weekends. Did you sleep all right?" I asked, moving around her to get the pot brewing properly.

"I did. Thank you for letting me stay. I was trying to have the coffee ready, but that thing is a lot more complicated than the one I have at home." She waved vaguely in the direction of the coffee maker and took a seat at the table.

"It's fine," I assured her. "I usually set the timer so it's ready when I get up, but I forgot last night."

"About last night," Renee started with a grimace. "I am sorry for the way I handled things, but I have to ask. Are you sure this is what you want? I mean, I know you were determined to have that baby years ago, but he's a grown boy now. He has a family and a life of his own. Should you disrupt that?"

I poured coffee for both of us and took a seat at the table. For several moments, I stared at my cup, doing my best to listen to what my mother was saying and what she meant and trying to tamp down the angry teenager in me that wanted to lash out and tell her she didn't know what she was talking about. "Ryan deserves to know that he was always loved and wanted. We didn't give him up; we didn't abandon him. And knowing that goes along with knowing that he is wanted and loved now."

"Is this the best thing for you?" she asked, uncharacteristically serious.

"I'm happier than I've been in years," I told her truthfully.

She sighed, looking down, and swirled her coffee in her cup. "How are you and Edward as a couple? That was always one of my worries for you. I didn't want you and Edward to end up like Charlie and I did. We were too young when we had you and had no idea what it meant to have a child."

I felt like she was hinting around something, but not coming out and saying it. For many years as a child, I had believed it was my fault that my parents had split—and maybe my mom still felt that way. Years of reflection had given me the insight that my mother was just too young and flighty and my father was too stoic and steadfast. She needed more adventure in her life than a small town cop and a baby could provide.

"Relationships are hard work," I finally answered. "We both know that, and we do our best to make sure that we make time for each other. Having Ryan around will shift that focus somewhat, but I think we can do it."

"Okay," she said simply, and then changed the subject. "Do you have plans for the day?"

"Nope, just lots of time to spend with my dear ol' mom before she drives back to wherever Phil is," I said with a smile.

She slapped me on the shoulder in response.

We were still talking about where we wanted to go while she was in town, when Edward padded into the kitchen. He was still half-asleep. "Morning, sweetheart," he said through a yawn while pouring his own cup of coffee. He kissed me on the head and sank into the chair next to me.

"What's on the agenda for the day, ladies?" he asked once he'd taken a couple of sips.

"Bella and I are going to do a little shopping," Renee said. "Are you coming with us to hold our bags?"

Edward frowned and looked to me. "Uh, no, I think I have some work to catch up on. I'll let the two of you have a girls' day."

I laughed at his attempt to get out of spending time with my mom, but let him do it. Her idea of a good time and his didn't match up in the slightest, and I knew that the next time she came in with Phil, he'd hang around.

An hour later, Edward was on his way to the office, and Mom and I were on our way to the mall. I suggested Pike Place Market, but she was in the mood for clothes. We walked into every store, and I stood by while she tried outfit after outfit on.

"Mom, you are too old to wear that," I said when she tried on a scrap of fabric made to look like a shirt and some skinny jeans.

"Isabella Marie, did you just call me old?" She was aghast.

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, _I'm_ too old to wear that. Hell, I think Ryan's friends are too old for that."

She giggled. "Fair enough. I'm getting the sweater, though. I like what it does for my boobs."

I shook my head and surreptitiously put the dress she'd wanted me to try on the fitting room rack. If Ryan's friends were too old to wear what she had on, toddlers were too old for that skimpy thing.

It was late afternoon by the time we got home, and I was exhausted. Renee gathered up her things and left quickly, knowing that she had several hours of driving to do before she would meet up with Phil and his ball club. She hugged me goodbye and wished me all the best, as if she didn't think I was making the best decisions but was keeping her mouth shut. Not for the first time in my life, I appreciated her silence.

Since Edward had sent me a message that he would be working late, I made myself a sandwich and curled up in my bed, intent on losing myself in another world for the rest of the night.

Monday morning dawned bright and warm. Summer was in full swing, and the sight of clear, blue skies chased away any malingering feelings left over from my mother's weekend visit. Chelsea handed me a cup of coffee, already prepared when I walked in, and notified me that my schedule had been rearranged slightly to accommodate a new patient. Even that didn't phase my cheer.

Either my good mood was infectious, or my patients were suffering from the same giddiness, because instead of dwelling on problems, almost all of my patients focused on the positives in their lives. Hope was alive and well.

Edward showed up just afternoon. "Hey," he said, knocking on my door frame. "You wanna grab a bite?"

I set down the file I was holding and grinned at him. "Sure! I've got some time, handsome." I reached into my desk drawer, retrieved my purse, and was fishing out my keys to lock my office, when Chelsea's voice broke in on the intercom.

"_Bella, I'm sorry to bother you. I know Edward's here to steal you away and make you eat, but Aron Michaels is on one for you. He said he tried to reach you on your cell, but didn't get an answer."_

"Thanks, Chelsea." I looked down at my phone, and sure enough, I still had the ringer turned off. Edward swiftly moved into the room, closed the door, and took a seat on the other side of my desk. At a nod from him, I hit the speaker button on my phone. "Aron? This is Bella. Edward's with me, and you're on speaker."

"_Oh, good. I'm glad I've caught the two of you together. I got your handwriting samples and sent them to someone I know on Friday, but as it turns out, that wasn't necessary. Do you know an Alec Majors?"_ he asked.

"Yes, he's the FBI agent in charge of the kidnapping case," I answered.

"_That's him. He called me a little while ago with the results. It seems that your father sent the samples up to the Bureau's offices as well. He said their analyst took two glances at the samples and laughed at him. There's no way you signed those documents. Anyway, he said they are tracking down the notaries involved, as well."_

"I told you we didn't sign the release forms," I said. "That's good news, right?"

"_For you, yes. For Bob Gerandy, no." _Aron laughed. _"At this point, if that man ever sees the outside of a prison cell again, he'll be lucky. But that's not all I have for you. Marjorie Hollings has to be the most efficient DSHS worker in the state. Her reports were already filed this morning."_

"And?" I led. Aron seemed to be enjoying drawing this out.

"_She concluded that both families could provide a suitable and loving home for Ryan, although she would like to see him have his own space with you. Ryan did express that he didn't want to be removed from his current home, and she sees no reason that he needs to be."_

"What does that mean for us, Aron?" Edward asked, his face serious.

"_It means that you should start looking into alternative living arrangements that include a separate bedroom for Ryan. I've already put in a call to the Cullens' attorney to arrange a meeting to discuss custody. I would look for us to have something next week," _he said.

"We put an offer on a house this morning," Edward told him. My eyes widened in shock. We'd talked about, but I didn't know he'd called Maggie already. He nodded and smiled. "Ryan got to see it this weekend and picked out the room he wanted. As for the meeting, as long as it's not this weekend, I'm sure we can work on that."

"Are you looking at us getting full custody now?" I asked in shock. Before, he had told us that it wasn't likely.

"_No." _Aron sighed. _"I'd like to have better news for you there, but right now, the court system is going to look more favorably on a joint arrangement. That was Marjorie's recommendation. That is the first step, though, in integrating yourselves into his life. If this goes well and Ryan becomes more comfortable with the idea, then I think we have a better shot."_

"I'd like to add therapy for Ryan to the agenda for the meeting," I added. "There seem to be some unresolved issues there, and with the trial coming up, I want him to have someone neutral to talk to."

"_Okay. I'll be in touch as soon as I have some possible meeting times and locations. Have a good day," _Aron signed off.

For a moment, Edward and I simply stared at each other, unable to fully process what we'd just been told. I opened my mouth to say something about it, but what came out surprised even me. "You put an offer on the house?"

Edward chuckled, albeit a little uneasily. "Yeah, I called Maggie yesterday, and we ironed the details out this morning. The offer is well below what they are asking and even lower than what we had talked about, but I figured it would give us negotiating room."

We continued to discuss it over lunch, and by the time Edward dropped me back off at my office, we had agreed on our final numbers, if and when we had to negotiate with the home buyers. It was no longer an "if we wanted the house." Ryan had been happy there, and I would move mountains to keep that smile on his face.

The rest of the week flew by. As we expected, Maggie called back later that night with a counter-offer well above our original. Edward countered back, and we finally settled on a number in the middle by Thursday. Since Edward would be leaving early the next day and was working late, Maggie met us at his office to sign the paperwork and congratulate us. Of course, we all knew that the hardest parts were yet to come, but there was a sense of excitement in the air. After she left, Edward celebrated by bending me over the arm of his couch. I didn't mind in the slightest.

Edward and Jasper left midday on Friday, and we still hadn't heard from Agent Majors or Aron. I promised to call him if anything changed when he stopped by my office on his way to the airport. As soon as he was out the door, I called Angela and invited her over for a girls' weekend. She suggested that we do it at her house, since she had more space, and said that she would let Alice know of our plans. Angela sounded almost as excited as I felt.

"This was a great idea, Bella," Alice said with the frosty remnants of her margarita on her upper lip. We'd decided on Mexican take-out and homemade margaritas to go with mani/pedis, gossip, and movies.

"Why thank you," I said not so humbly. "I am known for my strokes of brilliance sometimes. Besides, we've haven't gotten together in too long, and with all of our boys out of commission for the weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time."

"This should become a standing tradition. They go out of town once a month, right?" Angela asked. "And Ben will cover for them when they do. It can be our time. You won't have Ryan on these weekends, right?"

I shrugged. "If we get full custody, yes, but I could always arrange for him to visit Esme and Carlisle on this weekend. With the way we are doing things now, this isn't one of our weekends."

The girls wanted full details on how everything was going, and it took most of dinner and through the manicures to answer all of their questions. It was the last one, though, that gave me pause.

"What about the press? How are you guys going to deal with that?" Angela asked.

"So far, it hasn't been an issue." I sighed. "I'm sure everyone in Forks knows what's going on, but it's not like we have our own television crew. I figure that when the charges are filed and the grand jury is convened, interest will pick up. Edward and I have talked about it, but with everything else going on, I haven't wanted to bring it up to Esme."

They both looked at me sympathetically and offered their assistance if I could come up with anything. Alice suggested that we do like the celebrities having babies do and agree to one interview with a major outlet. I filed it away to discuss with Aron and Edward later.

Soon, the heavier talks were abandoned in favor of idle gossip and movie quoting. To be perfectly honest, we weren't really capable of holding those conversations anyway. I lost count of my margaritas after the third one.

None of us got up early the next morning. We hobbled to the nearest cheeseburger joint with our sunglasses on around one and filled our hungover stomachs with grease. Once we felt better, Alice convinced us to come and help her display some new products in the shop for the rest of the day. With nothing better to do, we tromped over there and spent the next several hours rearranging everything.

I had missed girl time, and as much as I loved Alice, Angela's calm presence was a balm of sorts to the chaos that my life had become over the last six weeks. It was hard to believe that it hadn't been six _months_ since this had all started, so much had happened. By Sunday morning, I felt more at peace with myself and the world than I had in months—maybe even years.

I didn't know time could fly by so fast, but the week following Edward's Reserve weekend did. Ryan called us a couple of times to ask random questions, or he sent silly text messages that brightened my day. He said he had something big planned for us, but that it was going to be a surprise. Neither Edward nor I could wait.

We had lost ourselves so much in the flurry of our daily lives that when the shit hit the fan on Friday, it caught us both off guard.

**Uh, oh. **

**Don't forget about the Fandom AJD compilation. I've submitted a Ryan POV outtake and there are a ton of other fantastic authors coming together to try to find a cure for Type I (or Juvenile) diabetes. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and the configuration of names used in this story. She doesn't own the actual names, because, well, they've been in use much longer than she's been alive. But you all knew that, too. **

**A/N: You've all hypothesized and one of you was right! You're so smart. I was thrilled this week when I left a review for another wonderful author, DreamoftheEndless (if you aren't reading her stuff, do it after you read this), and she informed me that she considered me a big name in this little fandom world of ours. I was stunned, and humbled. Thank you, darling, for the vote of confidence. It really means the world to me. **

**Thank you to everyone that took the time to read and double thanks to those that reviewed. Stolen Dreams is almost to 1500 reviews and I think that is incredible. Thank you also to my beta, JenRar, for her work making this readable. **

**For the record, the following Monopoly game is based on a real game I played with my family about three months ago. My son, at five years old, kicked my ass. In fact, he beat us all, and it was his first time playing. Who knew that being the slum lord in Monopoly was so profitable? Apparently, he did. Sigh. **

**Chapter 22**

"_Bella, you need to turn on channel three," _Dad's voice said ominously through the phone without a proper greeting.

"What's going on, Dad?" I asked. The only television in the office was in the waiting room, and we had patients out there.

"_Don't argue with me, Bella. Just do it. The grand jury is handing down the indictments on Gerandy this morning."_

I ran out of my office and grabbed the remote from Chelsea. Without care that I had patients watching the cartoon on the screen, I scrambled with the buttons and changed the channel. A reporter in a crisp, white button down shirt and carefully coiffed hair was standing in front of the federal courthouse in Seattle.

"—still waiting to hear from the grand jury, but after the evidence presented yesterday, it is almost certain that Dr. Robert Gerandy will be indicted on all counts. He has been accused of child trafficking, kidnapping, forgery, and theft. We received word from our contact inside the courthouse this morning that the grand jury had reached a decision, and we are waiting for the official word now."

Chelsea had alerted Kate and Zafrina, apparently, because they both came to get their clients and moved them into their offices with their apologies, before returning to the waiting room to sit with me. I grabbed my phone and held it back to my ear. Dad had hung up at some point, so I dialed Edward and told him to turn on the television.

"Here comes the prosecutor now." The lady ran with the camera following behind her closely to a staging area of sorts that was being created by a gang of journalists. "Mr. Mancuso, over here. What was the verdict?"

Mr. Mancuso, the prosecutor, ignored all of the individuals clamoring for his attention and held up his hand to quiet them down. Choosing his words carefully, he spoke to the assembled crowd. "The grand jury has returned indictments on all accounts against Robert Gerandy. My office will be proceeding to trial as soon as possible, and we fully expect a jury of his peers to find him guilty. That said, I urge you to remember that there are families—real people—behind this tragedy, and their rights should be respected, as well." He ended the interview with that and refused to say any more.

"Robert Gerandy is the man that stole your son?" Zafrina confirmed.

I nodded, unable to tear my eyes from the screen.

"Let us know whatever you need." Kate patted my leg. "Chelsea, you're probably going to have to screen calls diligently for the next few weeks. No new patients without a written referral." I didn't want to believe that a reporter would stoop so low, but I knew they would to get a story.

"Yes, ma'am," Chelsea said from her desk.

Kate and Zafrina both returned to their offices where their patients were waiting, and I slowly got to my feet. Earlier in the day, I had been lamenting my light schedule for the day, thinking that it would make my day go by slower. Now, I was grateful. I could hear the phone starting to ring on Chelsea's desk as I made my way into my office and her replies of "No comment."

I was fortunate that my patients didn't mention anything and did not seem to be affected by the media buzz surrounding me. A couple of them mentioned seeing reporters outside our building, but that was as far as it went.

That night, Kate suggested I use the back door to get to the parking lot. It was likely that there would be people watching my car, but most of them seemed to be clustered around the front door, waiting eagerly for me to leave, like what happened to me was nothing more than entertainment for the masses that I would be eager to share. Perhaps there was something to the idea of giving a single interview after all.

Two reporters practically chased me to my car, but they were kind enough to move so I didn't have to run over them to get home. Somehow, they hadn't located my home address yet. It was a relief to be able to get in to grab my bag. Edward arrived, and we were on the way out the door when my cell rang.

"_Don't bother coming down here this weekend," _Carlisle said icily as soon as I'd answered.

"Excuse me?" I said, shocked.

"_I just had to go rescue my wife and son from the Thriftway, where they were cornered by reporters. We moved to this town so they would be safe, and now, you've dredged up all this trouble. Just don't bother." _He hung up before I could respond.

I stared at the phone in my hand, wondering just what we were supposed to do.

"Babe, who was that?" Edward asked, coming back inside and shutting the door. "Did some reporter get your cell?"

I shook my head absently. "No, that was Carlisle. He told us not to come. Apparently, some reporters were harassing Ryan and Esme at the Thriftway, and he's blaming it on us."

"Not to come? It's our weekend with Ryan. He can't just tell us not to come," Edward protested.

"We don't have a formalized custody arrangement. Aron warned me about this," I whispered. I didn't understand before. I didn't believe they would try to keep us away from him. Now I knew the truth.

"Fuck that," Edward snarled. "He's not going to keep us away from Ryan. Let's go." He jerked our bags up off the floor where he'd dropped them and yanked my front door open. In a daze, I followed him to his car and listened while he called Aron.

Aron cussed so loudly that I could hear him through the phone. He told Edward that he would make some calls and to keep his phone handy, before yelling again and hanging up. Edward's knuckles were white on the steering wheel, and his jaw was clenching. The silence in the car was almost deafening, but Edward was too angry, and I was too afraid to break it.

About thirty minutes into the trip, Edward connected up his iPod and let the music soothe us both. Granted, it took a while, but by the time we got to Forks, we were both calmer and resolved that we were going to be at the Cullens' house in the morning to see our son, regardless of the media or Carlisle's wishes.

Sam and Emily had our room ready for us, and despite the late hour, we had to avoid a reporter that was staying at the Lodge, too. Aron still hadn't called back, but we agreed to be at the Cullens' house by ten, like we'd arranged with Ryan earlier in the week.

"I'm not breaking promises to him," Edward defended when I reminded him that Carlisle was going to be pissed. "If Carlisle doesn't want us there, let Ryan hear that. I'm not going to have my son think I'm going to stand him up."

"I agree," I placated to keep him from yelling again. "I just want to make sure that we both know what we're walking into tomorrow."

"I know. I'm just mad at the situation, not you. I mean, why would anyone think that it's okay to pester a ten-year-old boy about his kidnapping. That's insanity!"

I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. "It's not going to stop. Alice suggested that we pick one media outlet and give an interview together, kind of like the celebrities do when they have kids. That way, we have something to tell them, they get their story, and they let us lead our lives."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Edward mused as he sat down next to me. "When Aron calls back, we'll ask him about it and bring it up to Carlisle and Esme tomorrow. In the meantime, we should get some rest. You look exhausted."

I nodded. "I think the stress has really gotten to me today."

"All right, then. Go." He swatted my ass as I stood and moved toward our bags.

In less than ten minutes, I was clad in my pajamas and crawling underneath the covers. Edward joined me minutes later, just as the cold sheets were starting to warm.

"I love you," he whispered softly, facing me and brushing the hair away from my face. "We'll get through this together."

"I love you, too," I sniffled. Being here in his arms, I could almost believe that everything would be okay. Just as it had always been, Edward's embrace made everything better. Slowly, so that he wouldn't misunderstand my intentions, I wound my hands around his back and underneath his pajama pants. His muscles clenched underneath my fingers.

"Baby, what—" he started, but I cut him off by pressing my lips to his.

"Let me do this for you," I whispered.

My fingers curled around the elastic, and I tugged both his pants and boxers down. He kicked them off, once I got them low enough, and continued kissing me passionately. His hands roamed my body like he couldn't decide where to put them. Internally, I smirked and shifted so he only had one option.

The covers were shucked to the end of the bed, baring Edward's lower body to me. I settled in between his legs and ran my hands up his thighs, massaging slightly as I went. His gaze never left my face.

Though I felt a little like an idiot trying to be seductive while I did it, I licked my lips, and then ran my tongue up the underside of his penis. It twitched in front of me, and Edward groaned. His eyes slipped closed, just for a second. When he opened them, he stared at me, his eyes heavily lidded with lust, desire, and need.

If the day had been any different, I would have teased him. Today, though, I wasn't in the mood for games, and I doubted he was, either. I lowered my head over him and sucked as I pulled back up. Over and over, I moved up and down, only increasing my fervor when Edward buried his hands in my hair. He tugged lightly, not guiding, but showing his appreciation. Occasionally, I'd scrape his shaft with my teeth, enjoying the hiss that left Edward's mouth each time.

It wasn't long before Edward was moaning and chanting my name, almost incoherently. He tugged on my hair to warn me seconds before he exploded into my mouth. As he collapsed back onto the pillows, I grabbed the washcloth I'd left next to the bed and spit into it. Edward's arm looped around my waist and pulled me back into him.

"I love you," he mumbled. "Thank you."

I giggled at him. "You're welcome."

He found his pants and slid them back on with some effort. Then, he tucked me under his arm and closed his eyes. He wasn't awake more than a minute. It took a little longer for my mind to relax and let go of the day. When I closed my eyes, I could see the reporters chasing my car from the parking lot, and I imagined those same people practically attacking my son in the grocery store. From there, those images became dreams as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Edward woke me by kissing along the column of my neck. Sometime during the night, we had turned on our sides with my back to Edward's chest. He was taking advantage of that by pinning my arm down with his and fondling my breast. My hips bucked back into his, and I could feel his excitement pressing into my ass.

"Mmm," I moaned sleepily.

"Good morning, princess," he said huskily, placing another kiss underneath my ear.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

He hummed and kissed underneath my ear. "Waking you up," he answered.

I stretched in his arms as much as I could. "What time is it?" I asked through a yawn.

Edward groaned as he turned and checked the clock. "Time to get up. It's almost nine, and I thought you might want some breakfast before we went over there. Emily was kind enough to offer to pick it up for us. She should be here any minute."

I groaned and hoisted myself out of his arms and out of bed just as there was a knock on the door. I scampered to the bathroom as quickly as possible, while Edward got the food he'd ordered from Emily.

"There are still reporters hanging around, but they seem to be aimless," Edward reported through the shower curtain a few minutes later.

"So they don't know we're here?" I asked.

"No, they don't seem to, and they can't enter the Cullens' property. Your dad warned them yesterday that it would be trespassing and they'd be arrested from what I've heard," he said.

I stuck my soapy head out of the shower and stared at him. "Have you already talked to my dad this morning, too?"

He laughed at me. "No, Emily's a gossip."

I finished rinsing quickly and wrapped one towel around my waist and the other around my head. Edward was sitting at the round table by the window, peering through the curtains surreptitiously and munching on a doughnut.

"Anything interesting?" I asked while I dug through my bag for clothes.

He shrugged. "There's a guy hanging around a white van, but he's kind of ugly, so I'm guessing he's the camera man. Other than that, I haven't seen anyone. We should be able to get out of here without being followed. At least, I hope so."

As soon as I was dressed, I grabbed a bagel and used the hair dryer in the room. It wasn't the best and it took longer than normal, meaning that we had to rush as soon as I was done. No one watched us get into the car, and it didn't seem like we were followed as we sped through the wet streets.

A deputy stopped us as pulled into the drive, but waved us through once he saw me sitting the passenger seat. Edward blew out a deep breath as he moved forward again. There was a slight movement by the front window when he parked behind Esme's car. The front door flew open, banging into the wall behind it, and Carlisle stepped over the threshold with his arms folded across his chest.

"I thought I told you not to come," he shouted at us, his anger barely concealed.

"We had plans with Ryan, and we had no intention of missing that," Edward commented evenly, strolling up to the porch with me by his side. "I'm sorry that reporters accosted Esme and Ryan yesterday, but you can't refuse to let us see our son because of something that's not our fault."

He glared at us. "Not your fault," he scoffed. "How is this not your fault? If you hadn't opened this can of worms, my wife and son wouldn't be afraid to leave the house!"

"_Excuse me?_" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "We didn't ask for Bob Gerandy to steal Ryan from us. This is our scheduled visitation time, and you have no right to keep him from us."

Carlisle's smile turned nasty. "Actually, according to our attorney, the agreement you made with Esme isn't legally binding. You have no visitation rights. I told you not to come, and you need to leave."

The retort was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back when I saw Ryan standing in the doorway, staring at Carlisle with an odd look on his face.

"Dad, why would you tell them not to come?" Ryan's voice was laced with hurt. "You told me that they were busy in Seattle this weekend."

It was obvious that Carlisle knew he'd been caught, and his expression showed it. "Um, well, Ry, after the incident at the grocery store yesterday, I thought it would be better not to draw more attention to you."

Ryan leveled Carlisle with the withering glare. "There's a cop at the end of the driveway. How is having Ma and Dad here going to 'draw more attention' to me? And why are you being so mean?"

Carlisle gaped like a fish for a minute, but his answer was cut off by Esme coming to the door. "What's going on here? Why is the door open?" She looked shocked when she saw us. "Bella, Edward, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't going to be able to make it this weekend."

Edward looked at Carlisle and raised his eyebrow. "We weren't going to be able to make it?"

A look of understanding washed over Esme's face. "Ryan, since we aren't going to be able to go out like you wanted to today, why don't you go upstairs and get out some games?"

"You'll stay, right?" Ryan asked pleadingly to Edward and me.

"Yes, Ryan, we'll stay," I assured him.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and went back into the house. Seconds later, I heard his heavy footfalls running up the stairs. Esme seemed to be holding her tongue until he was out of earshot as well, because as soon as the sound of his feet hitting the landing reached us, she rounded on Edward and me.

"Did the two of you cancel your plans to come up here for the day, and then change your minds?" she asked.

"No!" I insisted. "We were on our way here last night when Carlisle called and told us not to come."

She wheeled on Carlisle. "Did you call and tell them not to come?"

He had the sense to look sheepish. "After . . . well, after yesterday, I thought that it would be better if they didn't."

Her nostrils flared, and her eyes flashed.

"Esme, you were shaking when I got you home last night. Ryan was terrified by all the shouting and the questions. You needed a break, some time for us to deal with this as a family."

"When are you going to get it?" she seethed. "This is our new reality. _They are our family._ From this point on, we are in this together. And you need to start looking at it that way, Carlisle, or we aren't going to see our son ever again."

His face paled, and I could see the hint of panic in his eyes. "They can't do that," he tried to insist, but I could see that he didn't really believe what he was saying.

"They can." Esme's tone was firm. "Right now, being in a home where Ryan is familiar and comfortable is the best thing for him, but legally, Tia said that if the court rules that they never terminated their rights, we may have no say in his life. Now stop making this harder than it has to be. The only one that will get hurt here is Ryan."

Carlisle had the good sense to look ashamed. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "You are nice people; you really are. It makes it hard for me to hate you for taking him away from us. I love that little boy in there with all my heart, and you're taking him. It's easier to paint you as the bad guys in my mind because you're here in front of me."

I shook my head. "The only bad guy here is the man who sold a baby he had no right to take."

"You're right. It's hard to remember that, though, when those leeches have your family backed into the wall at the grocery store with no means of escape." Carlisle looked so stressed out that if he smoked, I was sure he'd want an entire pack.

"Bella actually had a thought about that," Edward cut in. He had been quiet during the tense exchange, but I had felt him coiled and ready to attack by my side.

"Oh?" Esme asked.

"Yeah. What if we choose one media outlet and do one interview about the situation? If we make it known that's all we'll do, maybe they'll leave us alone. It's what celebrities do when they have big news," I added when both Carlisle and Esme looked at me in shock.

"That's . . . that's actually a really good idea, Bella," Carlisle said. "Something like _Good Morning America_ or the _Today Show_?"

I nodded. "That's what I was thinking. It's not just you being ambushed. They camped out around my office, and I almost hit two reporters trying to get out of the parking lot. Until they hear from us, they aren't going to leave us alone."

"Why don't you talk to Mr. Michaels, and we'll talk to Tia and get them to arrange it soon?" Esme suggested.

I nodded and started to go inside. It was still raining, after all. We were covered on the porch, but the breeze was chilly. Edward clamped his hand down on my arm and stopped me, though. His hard gaze never left Carlisle's face.

"We need to end this before we get in there in front of Ryan. This is the third time you've been blatantly disrespectful to us. The first time, I let it go. The second time, I didn't say anything because my son was right there with us, and I didn't want to cause a scene. But this time, you've gone too far. To tell Ryan that we were just too busy to fulfill our promises to him is over the line. Whether you like it or not, that boy is _our son. _I won't leave him in a home with a person whose sole purpose is to turn him against us, and I'll make sure he knows exactly why he can't live with you anymore." Edward's voice was calm, but menacing, and Carlisle took a step back.

"You . . . you can't do that," he whispered.

"I can, and I will," Edward reiterated. "Right now, the court is leaving him here because our rights haven't been restored and they view this as the best place for him, given the circumstances. But I will make sure that changes if your attitude doesn't."

"How would you feel, Edward?" Carlisle asked sadly. "How do you think you would feel if your son was being threatened and taken away from you? What would you do to spare the feelings of the woman you love?"

I turned to face Edward in time to see the flashes of pain and guilt cross his features. "It's the worst feeling in the entire world, especially when you know there's nothing you can do. But we aren't taking him, Carlisle. Not once have we suggested that you wouldn't be an integral part of his life. You've cared for him for ten years and loved him as your own. There is nothing we can do to ever thank you adequately for that. But the fact remains that you shouldn't be in the position in the first place. Ryan should never have left that hospital with anyone but his mother and me."

Carlisle nodded, chastened. Perhaps it had finally sunk in that Edward knew what he was feeling to an extent. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did. The three of us have been a family for ten years, and when we've had problems, this is the unit we retreat to. I just wanted to figure it out before having to face it all again."

"I understand that," Edward allowed, "but I'm not going to allow you to drive a wedge between us and Ryan. There's no need for it."

Carlisle nodded and stared at his feet.

Esme sighed and glanced toward the house. "Ryan had planned to show you all his favorite places in town today and to ask you about your memories. With the rain and the reporters, I think we're going to have to postpone that. Are you up for playing some games?"

"That sounds like a lot of fun," I said honestly as the last of my anger ebbed enough to allow for rationality. "Will you join us?"

"Yes, I think we will. This might be a good time to talk as a family, include Ryan in our decisions," she suggested. "He's probably got six games set up already, so we should get in there."

She offered me her hand, and I took it, seeing it as the peace offering that it was. Together, we walked into the house, leaving Carlisle and Edward on the porch to work out whatever was still eating at them. As she had expected, Ryan had pulled out a bunch of games and had them arranged so that the adults could choose what they wanted to play.

I quickly perused all the choices and settled on Monopoly. It would take hours, but not a lot of concentration. Ryan grinned when I pulled it from the stack and set it up on the coffee table. Esme nodded with a smile and went into the kitchen. Carlisle and Edward still hadn't come in when she came back in with bowls of popcorn, chips, and trail mix.

"Bella, can you help me with the drinks?" she asked.

I jumped up from my spot on the floor. "Of course. Whatever I can do to help."

When we came back in, Ryan had moved the couch cushions onto the floor and was happily munching on some popcorn. He patted the cushion next to him. "Ma, will you sit by me?"

Esme furrowed her brow and mouthed, "Ma?" at me.

I shrugged and whispered, "That's what he decided on last weekend. You're Mom, and I'm Ma."

"What does he call Edward?" she asked quietly.

The question had been intended for me, but Ryan answered. "Dad. They're smart enough to figure out who I'm talking to." He shrugged.

Esme pretended to be offended. "And we aren't?"

"Uh . . ." Ryan looked like a deer caught in headlights. "You can both be Mom, too."

She stopped suppressing her grin and laughed at him. "You're too easy, Ry."

He scowled and threw a handful of popcorn at her.

"Are we having a food fight already?" Carlisle asked, walking up behind Esme and taking one of the glasses from her. "Shouldn't we save that until someone at least has two houses?"

I caught sight of Edward over Carlisle's shoulder. He gave me a smile and a nod to let me know everything was okay and sank onto the floor next to me. Within minutes, Carlisle and Esme had joined us, and Ryan was busy deciding which piece each person should be. I wasn't sure how I ended up the thimble, but I placed it on GO anyway.

For having only played Monopoly once in his life, Ryan was uncommonly good. After an hour and a half, he held all of the cheaper properties and had erected hotels on all of them. I was almost out of money, because I kept landing in jail. When I had mortgaged everything I had and handed over my last ten dollars, I laughed and sat back to watch him annihilate everyone else.

"Ryan, were you scared at the grocery store yesterday?" Carlisle asked conversationally, while moving his dog around the board.

I turned my head to see his reaction.

He scrunched up his nose and shrugged. "Not really. I didn't understand why they were shouting questions at me, but I knew Mom wouldn't let them do anything. Besides, they had cameras and wouldn't hurt me on television, right?"

"No, they wouldn't hurt you," I assured him. "Did you hear any of the questions they were asking?"

"Something about kidnapping. I wasn't paying attention." Ryan landed on Free Parking and took all of the money from the center—there were a lot of taxes in there, as if he needed anymore.

"Dr. Gerandy, Bella's doctor when you were born, was indicated yesterday," Esme explained. "Do you know what that means?"

"Nope," he answered. Honestly, it didn't seem like he actually cared, either.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "It means that he is going to trial for kidnapping you when you were born. Those reporters wanted to know how you feel about that."

Ryan gave him an odd look. "He should get in trouble, right? I mean, he did something wrong, so he should get punished. Why do they care what I think?"

"Because you are the one that is most affected," I told him gently.

"So if I tell them I want him to get into trouble, will they leave me alone?" he asked in his child-like innocence.

Edward shook his head almost as soon as the question was out of his mouth. "It's not quite that simple, buddy. If you talk to one of the people wandering around town, they're all going to want to talk to you. We were talking about doing one interview on television. How would you feel about that?"

"I'd get to be on TV?" he asked excitedly. Trust the ten-year-old to find the silver lining.

"Yes," Esme laughed.

"Cool." Ryan rolled and moved his piece around to one of the spaces I used to own. He already had the other two in the color group. "I want to buy it, Dad."

Carlisle groaned, but handed over the deed when Ryan handed him the money. It didn't appear that our illustrious banker was faring much better than I had. Edward was holding his own, and Esme still had a few bucks left, but one more bad roll, and Carlisle was going to be out with me.

Our conversation turned to lighter topics, and all of the adults listened with rapt attention as Ryan told us all about the day camp at the community center and his new friends in Forks. Within three rounds, Carlisle was out and accompanied me to the kitchen to refill our drinks and the bowl of popcorn.

"Bella, wait," he called quietly as I prepared to go back into the living room. "Can I have a word with you?"

With my back turned, I schooled my expression into something more neutral and open. After the confrontation on the porch, I wasn't feeling overly friendly to him, but I owed it to Ryan to hear what he had to say. "Yes, Carlisle. What can I do for you?" I asked politely.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I'm not too proud to admit that I'm terrified. Seeing those reporters crowded around my family and hearing from our attorney this week that it's likely your parental rights will be restored scared me to my very core. I love Ryan. I just don't want to lose him." He fidgeted a bit, as if admitting the truth to me was difficult for him.

"I can understand that, but that doesn't excuse what you did today. Letting Ryan believe that we were too busy for him was underhanded and wrong. The only one that truly gets hurt in that scenario is Ryan," I told him. "How could you do that to him?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't really thinking of it like that."

"You need to," I told him seriously. "I realize that I'm the last person you want to hear this from, but this is my field of expertise. Not only does Ryan need someone impartial to talk to, but he needs our support more than ever. He's dealing with it really well right now, but that's not going to last forever."

"I understand," he whispered.

I nodded, picked up my glass, and returned to watch the game. Edward and Esme were trying, but they weren't overly successful. In the end, Ryan won handily. After crowing about his victory and dancing around the room, he helped pack up the game and grabbed the Scrabble box.

"Whoa there, Ry." Esme held out her hand to stop him. "It's after one, and we need to eat lunch first."

Ryan wrinkled his nose, but trudged to the kitchen.

Esme made us all sandwiches, and after eating, we all returned to the living room for more games. I beat everyone at Scrabble, and Carlisle dominated in Life. We finished out the night with Clue, which Edward won, though it was only because Esme said the wrong name when she guessed.

Ryan was yawning almost continuously. We hugged him and put him to bed, and then headed back to the Lodge. It was after ten and both of us practically collapsed into bed. The confrontations we'd each had with Carlisle, and the stress of possibly getting shut out of Ryan's life had been draining. Until the court restored our rights and awarded us either visitation or custody, we both knew that Carlisle was right and that we were dependent on the Cullens to see him. I had hope, though, that I'd finally gotten through to him tonight and made him understand that his actions were hurting Ryan first and foremost. I knew that Carlisle loved him and hoped that would be enough of a deterrent.

Edward fell asleep in his clothes. I didn't bother to wake him. I just put on my own pajamas and pulled the lowered covers over both of us.

The next morning, we dressed quickly and got on the road with a stop for coffee. "What do we have to do get our rights restored?" Edward asked as we winged our way back to Seattle.

"That's what Aron is supposed to be doing, I think," I answered, sending him a quick text to confirm. "With any luck, that won't take long."

Edward nodded, deep in thought. "Ryan doesn't want to leave them," he finally said after several minutes of silence. "We talked about it a little bit when we were at the ballgame."

"If we have parental rights, though, it would be our choice as a family who he would live with. They wouldn't be able to keep him away," I noted. "As long as he knows how much we love him and that we want him, I don't care so much if living with them is more comfortable for him right now."

"I care," Edward grumbled, "but I don't want to make him unhappy."

My phone chimed with a text from Aron. "Because of the media attention, your case is going to a judge this week," I read aloud.

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "By the end of the week?"

I stared at my phone in disbelief. "When are we supposed to close on the house?"

"A couple more weeks, I guess." Edward shrugged. "We're going to let Alice work her magic before we move in, right?"

"I'm not going to be the one to tell her no," I laughed.

He looked at me in disbelief. "Don't look at me. I just got back on her good side."

"Then her decorating skills it is," I decided, still chuckling.

Edward's phone rang, cutting off our conversation. He glanced at the screen, groaned, and hit the speaker button. "Hey, Mom."

The ambient noise behind her almost drowned out her voice. She said something I couldn't quite make out, and then told us to hold on. When she came back, it was marginally quieter. _"Hi, sweetheart. Are you home this weekend?"_

The look of apprehension on his face amused me, and he shot a glare in my direction. "Sort of. We're on our way back from Forks."

"_Oh, well, how far away are you?"_

"About thirty minutes or so. Why?" he asked warily.

Elizabeth sighed. _"We're at Sea-Tac again. When I scheduled our flight, I reserved a rental car, but they ran out. The girl at the counter promised to deliver one to us at the hotel tomorrow, but now we have no way to get there. The hotel doesn't have a shuttle, either. Can you please come get us?"_

"Why are you here? And would it kill you to call and tell me you're coming?" he practically yelled.

"_I saw the news reports about Dr. Gerandy being indicted and thought you'd need us. I just got our tickets—is it so wrong to want to come see my son?"_ she asked, the hurt clear in her voice.

"No, Mom, it's not wrong, but I have a life—we have a life. It's not always the best timing for you to show up unannounced. Like now. You and Dad are going to have to sit there until I can get into town and through the airport traffic." Edward was exasperated.

"_We don't mind the wait,"_ she said quietly. "_We'll just get lunch or something. Call us when you get close."_

"See you in a few." Edward groaned and pounded the steering wheel after he hung up. "Seriously, is it too much to ask for them to call before they get on the fucking plane?"

I chuckled, because Ed and Elizabeth didn't seem to have changed much. They'd always just done what they wanted where Edward was concerned, without consulting his feelings. He looked at me and sighed, shaking his head.

"Do you want me to take you home first?" he asked, squeezing my hand.

"No." I shook my head. "Just go get them."

We weren't as far away as Edward had told them, and the traffic around the airport wasn't as terrible as normal, being that it was Sunday afternoon. He called as we entered so that he would know which airline to go to.

"_Can you just park and come in here? They lost one of your dad's bags, and he's fighting with the airline,"_ Elizabeth said, slightly exasperated.

Edward didn't even reply. He swerved the car back into the driving lanes and circled back around to short term parking. We found a space close and walked hand in hand into the terminal. Elizabeth was standing near the empty baggage carousel with her purse slung over her arm and her rolling suitcase by her side. She was staring at a room off to the side. My eyes followed her gaze, and I could see Ed arguing with someone. He slapped the counter, huffed, and stormed out.

"Edward," he called loudly as he traversed the space between us. "Thanks for coming. They said they'll find my bag and bring it over to the hotel tomorrow. They think it got stuck in security and someone forgot to put it on the plane. What a load of crap." He turned to look at me and smiled. "Bella, it's good to see you again. Oh, look who we ran into on the way out here."

Ed gestured to a woman standing next to Elizabeth that I hadn't paid attention to before. Really, I hadn't even noticed her, and now I wondered why. She was gorgeous. Her blonde hair hung past her shoulders, and her crisp blue eyes sparkled. Unlike most Sunday travelers, she was wearing a business suit and four inch heels, though she looked perfectly comfortable in them.

Edward clearly knew the woman and couldn't hide his shock. "Tanya?"

**Uh, I did it again, didn't I? Sorry? No, not really. **

**Here's the deal—I've really sucked at teasers lately, but I've been doing better at replying to reviews. So, for the person that gives me review number 1400 and 1500, you all will get a special review, just for you, from the next chapter. **

**Don't forget the FandomAJD compilation. It's still available. **

**Reviews for this week: Go read anything that Lissa Bryan writes. It's all fantastic. Also, check out Going Under by sparklnfade. It rocks. Seriously. Proud by jennde is one of the best blue collar Edward's I've ever read. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this. Capiche?**

**A/N: I laughed at almost every review this week. Almost every single one of you hates Tanya and think she's up to no good. Poor girl has been so maligned in the fandom that she's the evil one. Never mind that it was Irina that almost got them killed. LOL! Any way—I know you've all been looking forward to this. **

**Thank you to everyone that took the time to review last week. With 1488 reviews, I'll uphold my promise to give a special teaser to 1500. I'll also pass one out to 1550 and 1600. Dare to tell me what you think. Please! I love hearing from you. **

**JenRar is my very awesome beta. She makes my words readable and my world go round. **

**Chapter 23**

Holy crap. _That _was _Tanya?_ Edward had admitted that she was an attractive woman, but that didn't even come close to covering it. The woman standing before me could have been a _Playboy_ centerfold. My self-esteem was inching downwards, though I was fairly sure even Elle McPherson would have felt insignificant here, and I took a small amount of comfort from that.

Edward had been clear to me that he hadn't really wanted to marry her, but that he was willing to do so until their careers had taken different paths and neither was willing to sacrifice for the other. But now, she was here. Did that mean that she'd realized what a mistake she'd made in letting Edward get away? Where did it leave me, especially in regards to his parents, who were staring at this strange meeting with no small amount of interest?

I tried to step back and look at things from a third party perspective, and what I saw made me laugh. Elizabeth looked worried, almost to the point of being sick, as her eyes darted between Edward, Tanya, and me. Ed was watching Edward's reaction with interest. Tanya seemed oblivious to the turmoil, smiling pleasantly and stepping forward to engulf Edward in what seemed to be a warm hug. Edward was frozen in shock and didn't move to return Tanya's embrace.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" he finally stuttered out when she released him from her clutches.

The way she touched him so familiarly made my stomach roll unpleasantly. It reminded me that she knew him as intimately as I did. I also couldn't tell, other than his stiffness, what he really thought about her presence here. Was he uncomfortable because she was here, or was it because I was here to witness their reunion?

"Well, I heard through the grapevine, meaning straight from your parents to mine,"—she chuckled nervously—"about what happened, and after seeing the news Friday night, I thought you might be able to use a hand."

He blinked a few times, and a grateful smile took over his face. "Thank you."

I didn't understand how she could help, and I wasn't entirely happy with the thoughts that sprang to mind when I considered just how Edward's ex-fiancee might want to help him. It didn't help that I was standing here on the outside of their family circle, watching this all unfold. Briefly, I wondered if I could call Alice and Jasper to come get me, because I doubted if five of us could fit comfortably in Edward's car. I doubted if I would feel comfortable even if he drove a mini-bus at this point.

"Bella?" Edward called to me, his voice concerned, as if it wasn't the first time he'd said my name.

I gave him a weak smile and took the hand he'd stretched out behind him.

"Bella, this is Tanya Fielding. Tanya, Bella Swan."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," she said with her hand outstretched.

I took it and shook firmly.

"You, too," I murmured with as much of a smile as I could muster.

She gave me an understanding look, and then cleared her throat. "Unlike theirs, my hotel had an available van to shuttle me over, so I shouldn't keep them waiting longer than necessary. There's a restaurant in the building—perhaps we could meet for dinner and talk?"

"That sounds great," Edward answered with an appreciative smile.

I wasn't sure I agreed and wondered how I could get out of it, or if I even needed to.

"Six-thirty, then, like usual? You have my number. Just call when you're on your way to The Plaza." She gave us a jaunty wave and strode off through the terminal and out the doors.

I just stared in shock after the woman that had just made a dinner date with my boyfriend in front of me. Ed and Elizabeth wheeled their suitcases past me, walking toward the door to the parking garage.

"Bella, you coming?" Edward asked, pulling me out of my stupor.

I shook my head to clear it. "Yeah, sorry."

He took my hand and led me through the lobby, following the same path his parents had taken. "I'm sorry. I had no idea she was here."

"And if you had, you'd have taken me home first?" I snapped.

"What? No," he responded, looking at me oddly for a moment.

Before he could say anything else, though, his mother hollered to him, asking which way to go. He groaned and told her that if she would wait for us, we'd all walk there together.

The ride to the hotel was tense. Elizabeth asked how Ryan was, and Edward told her that he was fine, but didn't elaborate. Ed asked a few questions about Gerandy's trial, but since neither of us knew the specifics, that conversation died quickly, too. Thankfully, the hotel wasn't far, and they didn't expect us to wait for them to check in. After bidding them goodbye, Edward drove straight toward my apartment.

It was like neither of us knew what to say, so we said nothing. I was angry and wanted to lash out at him. When he parked in front of my building, but left the engine idling, it was as if all the fight left me in an instant. Clarity like I'd never known washed over me, and tears pricked at my eyes.

"Are you not coming up?" I asked in a small voice.

"No, I have to go check in with Ben and Jasper if I'm going to be tied up all night," he responded with a sigh.

I swallowed heavily. "Oh. Will I see you tomorrow then?"

Confusion settled over his features. "Why wouldn't I see you tonight?"

"Seriously?" I asked, my earlier pique at being shunted to the side making itself known. "You're going on a date with your ex-fiancee, which is going to keep you 'tied up all night,' and then you want to come over and sleep in my bed? I don't think so." A couple of tears spilled down my cheeks, and I reached for the door handle, determined to get out of sight before I let my emotions truly go.

"Bella, wait," he said softly, his hand reaching over and grabbing the arm closest to him.

I stopped, but I didn't turn.

"Please look at me."

I swallowed a couple of times to suppress the emotions that were warring within me, before I turned my head slightly to see his expression. Instead of the apology I expected to see there, I only saw worry and sadness.

"Did you really think I was going to dinner without you tonight?" he asked somewhat incredulously.

I shrugged. "It didn't seem like I was actually invited."

"Oh, Bella," he whispered. "I wouldn't do that to you. When I accepted her invitation, it was for both of us." He stared at me for another second and seemed to come to a decision. He turned off the car and took the keys from the ignition. Within seconds, he was standing in front of me with my overnight bag, holding out his hand.

"Let's take this inside where it's a little drier."

With some reluctance, I placed my hand in his and rose from my seat. We walked together into the house, but when we got to the living room, I positioned myself in the chair so Edward couldn't sway me with his touch. I wanted answers and to understand.

"Did they do this on purpose? Bring her back into your life, I mean?" I blurted out before Edward could even take his seat.

He looked pained, but shrugged, acknowledging that he didn't know. "My parents don't hate you, Bella. I've made it as clear as I can to them that you are the only woman I see in my future. They accept that."

"Really?" I asked skeptically. "This is the second time they've shown up unannounced, and they brought your _ex-fiancee_ with them this time. How am I supposed to see that as anything other than them trying to sway you away from me again?"

Edward tugged on his hair, clearly agitated. "While I'm sure they had something to do with her not informing me of her visit, I really do think she's just trying to help. Tanya's not a bad person, Bella, and I'm glad she's here."

"And how exactly is she going to help us?" I snarked.

Her presence had really put me on edge. It wasn't so much that I felt inferior, although I did to some extent, but this woman had been a huge part of Edward's life while I wasn't there, and I suspected that there were lingering feelings he wasn't admitting. They might not be comparable to what he felt for me, but that didn't negate their existence.

He sat down on the edge of the couch as close to me as he could be. Gently, he took my hands in his. "I never told you what Tanya does, did I? She's a whiz in public and media relations. In New York, she worked for . . . I don't remember. It was a large firm on Wall Street. When she moved down to Virginia, she joined a media relations firm out of Washington, instead of working directly for one company. If anyone can help us with the reporters, it's her."

"You think she flew all the way across the country just to help _us_ deal with the media storm surrounding _our_ son?" I raised my eyebrow at him, because there was no one, other than Edward or Alice, that I would do that for. If she was willing to do so, their bond must have been stronger than I gave it credit for.

"I don't know, Bella, but that's all she's getting," he said wearily. "Now, I do have to go check in with Jasper and Ben. If you don't want to come tonight, fine, just let me know. Otherwise, I'll be back at six." He stood and walked toward the door.

His words looped through my mind, and I tried to make sense of them.

"I love you, Bella," he said as he left.

The closing of the door echoed through the empty apartment, and I felt so alone.

"Alice, I need you," I choked out when she answered my call.

She told me she'd be right here and hung up immediately.

By the time she arrived fifteen minutes later, I was a blubbering mess on the couch. I knew it wasn't just Tanya's arrival that precipitated it, but the stress of the entire situation that had been like a ticking time bomb in my chest, waiting to explode at the slightest provocation.

"Oh, honey, what happened?" Alice cooed as she tugged me from the chair and onto the couch, where I could lay with my head in her lap like we'd always done.

My retelling was convoluted, of that there could be no doubt, but I got it all out at once: the Cullens, the little time we'd gotten with Ryan, the Masens, Gerandy and how I felt about the trial, and Tanya's reappearance in Edward's life. Alice listened patiently, rubbing her fingers through my hair as I talked and calming me immeasurably. Over the last few months, I had expressed some of it to Edward, but now as I let it all out, I realized how much I'd held inside. It was freeing to finally let it all go.

Alice was pensive when I finally stopped talking, and she sighed heavily. "Do you want me to comment with my true thoughts, or do you want me to make you feel better?" she asked.

"I'd like your thoughts," I answered, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

She sighed again before she spoke. "I've talked to my mom about this a little—of course, it's the talk of the town—and she says that from everything she's seen and heard, the Cullens are good people that adore Ryan. They've spent ten years as his parents, loving him and raising him. I saw firsthand how hard it was on you to believe you'd lost him. Can you imagine how much worse that would be after ten years instead of nine months? Edward would move heaven and Earth if it would make you happy, and I suspect that Carlisle would do the same. In this case, though, he's already seen how devastated Esme was after a few months and knows that she might never be the same if she loses the boy she sees as her son. I would never want to see you like that again, and I can only imagine that it would have broken Edward to have seen it the first time.

"As for the Masens, forget about them. If Edward isn't concerned, you shouldn't be, either," she decided.

"But Alice, I don't want to be the cause of strife between them," I argued.

She shrugged. "You aren't. They are. Edward gave them the terms. If they choose not to live by them, it's their fault."

I had never stopped to look at it that way. I conceded her point. "And Tanya?"

She scrunched up her nose, and I giggled. "Well, you won't be able to get a good measure of her unless you spend more time with her. For God's sakes, you shouldn't let her be alone with your man. I don't think he'd leave you for anything, but you won't know her intentions unless you give her a chance to show you. Maybe she really is here out of the goodness of her heart."

I snorted, because I just couldn't believe that. She'd had Edward ready to marry her, and she'd given that up. Either she was an idiot or was just biding her time—absence makes the heart grow fonder and all of that.

Alice's solution was to make sure I looked stunning for dinner tonight. It took a while, since I'd spent a couple of hours crying my eyes out, but the end result was fabulous. My trusty little black dress hugged my curves in all the right ways, and the black heels Alice dug out of my closet made my legs look a mile long. At least she wouldn't tower over me. Alice insisted on a smoky look for my eyes and loose curls for my hair. I pinned the sides back, though, and she grinned in approval.

Six o'clock came and went with no sign of Edward. For someone that was usually so punctual, a remnant of his military training, his tardiness was glaring. When ten after came around, I wondered if, after our discussion earlier, he had decided to go without me. Or perhaps he hadn't wanted me there all along. That, however, was unlike Edward, so I dismissed it. He'd never left me waiting without a word. I dug around in my clutch for my phone to call him, now concerned that he'd been in an accident of some sort. My call went to voicemail.

Five minutes later, at twenty past six, there was a knock on my door. I swung it open hastily to reveal Edward standing in front of me in his dress uniform.

"I'm sorry I'm late. This afternoon has been . . . nevermind. You look lovely." He gave me a warm smile that thawed the ice in my chest a little. "Are you ready?"

I smiled wanly, but nodded and closed the door behind us. "Am I dressed appropriately?" I asked. I knew my dress was nice, but his full military uniform was usually reserved for black tie occasions.

"Yeah, you look great. Does my uniform look okay? I haven't had it pressed since our reunion . . ." He trailed off as he looked at my expression.

"Your uniform looks fine. You look very handsome," I responded, my voice sounding flat in my ears. Why in the hell is he asking my opinion on how he'd dressed up for another woman?

"Is it too much? You always like seeing me in it, so I put it on. I left my good slacks at the office, and Jasper spilled something red on them over the weekend. He promised to replace them if it doesn't come out, but that didn't do me much good while I was getting ready. I tried on my suit, but it doesn't fit anymore; the jacket was too tight. It was either khakis or this, and I thought you'd like this better," he rambled.

"Edward," I said loudly to stop his babble. "Did you dress up for Tanya?"

The look on his face said it all for him. It was a combination of disgust, incredulity, and shock. "What? No, I put this on for you."

"Okay," I said simply. I wasn't sure where Tanya was going with this meeting, but doubting Edward wasn't going to get us anywhere, even if I still felt a little uneasy.

"Okay?" he asked.

I sighed. "Yeah, okay. Let's just go to dinner and get this over with. I want you to remember this the next time I ask you to do something you aren't comfortable with."

He laughed softly. "I'll remember that the next time we run into one of your exes."

"Because we're ever going to run into Garrett." I snorted at the thought of Edward being anywhere that Garrett would frequent.

"Hey, it could happen," Edward defended, throwing the car into reverse. He sent a text, presumably to Tanya, before pulling into traffic.

Garrett had been fond of hanging out at poetry readings and beatnik bookstores. The idea of seeing Edward sitting on a bean bag pouf, surrounded by gauzy curtains, made me laugh out loud. "No, Edward, I don't think you'd ever be anywhere that Garrett would be."

He conceded the point with a nod, but didn't comment. He seemed a little nervous about our meeting. While I wasn't sure if he was anxious about seeing Tanya again, or having Tanya and me together, I decided that I would be myself and see how the evening went.

Tanya was waiting for us at a table in the lobby restaurant. If she was surprised to see me, she didn't let it show. She hugged Edward lightly and shook my hand. "Bella, it's good to see again. I'm sorry we didn't have more time to talk at the airport. I also must apologize. I thought Ed and Elizabeth had told you that they were visiting at least."

Edward grimaced. "No, they didn't tell us about their visit or yours. In fact, it's becoming kind of a habit with them."

She frowned. "I'll talk to them about that. It won't look good going forward, especially if you are out of town when they show up."

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't it look good?" I asked. "What do his parents have to do with our custody case?"

Tanya smiled at me, but it wasn't condescending like I expected. "Nothing at all. Edward's relationship with his parents, or yours for that matter, won't hold any sway with the courts. In the court of public opinion, however, it will matter. The media buzz surrounding your case has only begun, and like it or not, they will try this case in the media."

I blinked. Repeatedly. The thought that the media would parade our personal pain around for everyone else in America to pass judgment on had never occurred to me.

"It's hard to hear, I know. That's why I came. This is what I do." Tanya laid her hand over mine and smiled sympathetically. After a moment, her business-like demeanor returned. "Now, I know part of this story, but it seems like there's a lot I've missed. I need to know everything."

We ordered first, and then began our tale, starting with Ryan's birth. On occasion, she would interject with a question, but mostly, she listened and made notes. When we finished, she took a full drink of her wine and let out a deep breath.

"Okay, I do have a couple more questions. Edward, you said that your dad offered Bob Gerandy money to convince you to give up the baby, right? Did he ever pay him?"

"I don't . . . I don't know. They both said that he offered the money, but neither ever said that he paid it," Edward answered, his brow furrowed.

"We need to find out," she stated baldly.

Edward nodded. "I'll call him tonight."

"Lastly, what were your long term plans had Ryan been left with you?" she asked.

"Why does that matter?" I asked, frustrated.

"It doesn't. Someone will ask, though. As I said, the court of public opinion is much different than a court of law. It also will have absolutely no bearing on your custody case, but it could have bearing on Gerandy's criminal case," Tanya answered.

"How?" I asked.

Tanya shrugged delicately and explained, "Twelve normal, everyday people make up the jury. They are told to set aside their preconceived notions and only judge him by the facts presented in the courtroom. Let's be realistic, though. That doesn't happen. They're going to bring in what they've already seen and heard about the case and supplement the facts with it. Gerandy's lawyer is going to do what he can to present you as irresponsible teenagers that had no way to raise a child without depending on the welfare system and your parents to justify his actions. If the jury already knows that you were intelligent, hard-working kids with a plan for your future, they are less likely to give his justifications any credence."

"That makes sense," I agreed. "We were going to spend the summer in Forks with our parents for support, and then go to University of Washington in the fall. I had planned to pursue a degree in early childhood education. We were going to find some childcare, which our parents had agreed to pay for, and we were both going to get part time jobs."

Edward chimed in. "I was looking into business and the sciences for my field—I hadn't decided yet, but I figured that both of those would give me a career that I could use to support my family. Our parents had agreed to help with whatever we needed, but Bella and I were determined to do as much as we could on our own."

"Good. That's good," she said while she wrote, but it didn't seem like she was fully paying attention. Her next question confirmed it for me. "And how would you say your relationship is now?"

All of my earlier ire returned full force. Was she seriously using the media as a way to interrogate us about our current relationship? Before I could respond and tell her exactly where she could shove her questions, Edward placed his hand over mine in my lap and answered for us.

"Very strong and fully committed. We are in the process of buying our first home." Simple, and to the point.

"And yet, you aren't married, or even engaged," she pointed out needlessly.

Edward shrugged. "A ring doesn't solidify what I feel for her. And I don't want anyone, especially Bella, to feel like I asked her to marry me as a reaction to the custody hearing or Gerandy's trial."

I heard the words loud and clear. Really, I did. But the meaning I heard behind them wasn't. In my heart, sitting here across from the woman Edward _had _proposed to, I heard, "I'm not ready to make her my wife. What we have is enough. I'm not ready to make that kind of commitment."

"Excuse me," I whispered thickly, laying my cloth napkin on the table and rising from my chair. Edward glanced at me with concern, but I didn't pay him any attention as my eyes scanned the room for the restroom. As soon as I found it, I was off like a shot. I couldn't stay with the two of them anymore.

As I'd expected, the bathroom was clean and exquisitely appointed. It was also, thankfully, empty. After locking myself in one of the huge stalls and barring the door, I sat on the toilet and tried to compose myself. It took longer than I expected. I was torn. Should I let him deal with her on his own while she was here and back off, letting him figure out what he really wanted? Or should I fight for him and subject myself to her company and deal with the pain it brought, not knowing what he would choose?

Try as I might, no grand epiphany came to me there in the Plaza bathroom, so I finished my business and stepped out of the stall. The sinks were wide in front of me, with baskets of personalized towels for me to dry my hands on. I wet one and rung it out until it was damp to blot over my face without ruining my make-up. As I pressed it to the back of my neck, the bathroom door opened, and Tanya walked in.

"Are you all right?" she asked sweetly.

I couldn't detect a false note in her voice, but the nasty one inside my own head, muttered, _"Wouldn't you like it if I wasn't?"_

"Yes, sorry," I murmured, looking away.

We were quiet for a few moments, both leaning against the sink and not really looking at the other.

"He's different with you," she finally said softly.

Her statement caught me off guard, and I turned to look in her eyes. "What?"

She chuckled, mostly to herself. "It's always been you, Bella; surely you know that." Her eyes were sad. "Even when we were together, he wasn't all there. He never gave me all of him, and I know why now. He gave you his heart and couldn't give me what he no longer had. Believe it or not, we talked a lot about you and Ryan. I always hoped that he would be able to leave you in the past, but when he told me that he and Jasper were moving to Seattle, I knew that he hadn't let you go. That's why I didn't go with him. I figured that if he truly loved me, he'd either change his plans and stay with me, or he'd come back. He never did either."

I shook my head, denying her words. "But your career was there, and you didn't want to leave it," I insisted.

She snorted softly. "That's what I told him. I could have gotten a job here in a heartbeat. He wasn't coming here to start a new life for us, though. He was coming to find the one he'd lost. He did, and I've never seen him happier. I'm sorry if I bothered you with my questions out there. I just wanted to know if he'd gotten off his ass and done what he's always wished he had when you were kids."

"He told you that he wanted to marry me when we were kids?" I said, disbelieving.

"Yeah, when we first started dating and had the past relationships talk. Just . . . make him give you a better proposal than I got. Really, I don't know what I was thinking. That should have been my first clue," she lamented.

Suddenly, I felt a strange kinship with this woman that moments before I'd wanted to bury in my backyard. "What did he do?" I laughed.

She sighed and gave me a look. I could see her fighting her smile and tears of . . . laughter? "It was the saddest thing ever. I'd been expecting a proposal, because his mom told me that she'd taken him ring shopping, so when he took me to dinner, I was practically bursting at the seams. But then he paid the bill and left like nothing was supposed to happen. I followed him to the car, and we went back to his apartment. He changed his clothes, flopped down on the couch, and turned on the TV. After screaming at myself for getting my hopes up, I changed out of my dress and joined him on the couch. We sat there, not speaking for like twenty minutes. Then, he muted the TV in the middle of the show and shifted his body to face me. He rubbed the back of his neck and dug around in his pocket for this little black box. He put it on my knee and said, 'Well, if we're going to get married, I guess I'm supposed to give you this first.' When I asked him if that's what he wanted, he said, 'Sure, why not.' That was it. Most unromantic proposal ever."

By the time she finished her story, we were both laughing.

"I swear, if he doesn't do better with you, call me, and I'll come kick his ass," she said through her chuckles.

"We'll make it a party," I promised.

She smiled at me kindly, all traces of our earlier shared amusement gone. "I really am here just to help you, Bella. I want him to be happy, and he is. Finally. If you think I'm out of line with something I ask, just tell me. I swear I've got a reason for asking, and I'll tell you what it is. I'll do my very best to make sure that, that . . . baby-stealing asshole rots in prison and that everyone in America knows you and Edward are the best parents for that little boy."

She was so sincere, so honest, I couldn't doubt her for a second. "Thank you." It was for so many things, but there weren't enough words.

Tanya seemed to understand and leaned in to give me a hug. "You're welcome."

**Better? See, she's not the evil genius you thought she was. **

**Recs for the week: And Yet They Shine by Chicklette—the Cullens aren't vampires, they're gods. It's fantastic and almost complete.**

**Full Circle by JenRar—it's AU and wonderful. Give that beta of mine some love. **

**Little Green and Easybella by BettyGefecht—Autistic Edward is so fantastic. Read this. You need it. **

**I have lots more, so if there's something you want to read genre-wise, let me know. **

**Thank you for reading and I'll see you next week!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Everyone else owns the recognizable stuff. This story is mine. 'Nuff said. **

**A/N: Because you are the world's best readers, I'm sure that you'll forgive me for updating late. Between my job interview yesterday (Yay!) and Valentine's Day (during which my hubs bought BD and watched it with me), I completely forgot about updating. Now, I have a migraine, so if there are errors, please forgive those too. **

**Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed last week! I was amazed by how many of you I heard from! We almost hit 1600 reviews. In the spirit of that almost, I'll offer a teaser again to 1600, 1650 and 1700. **

**Thank you also to my awesome, blossom beta, JenRar. She rocks my world. **

**Chapter 24**

Tanya and I returned from the bathroom together, chatting amiably. Edward stood as we walked back to the table, eying me with concern. I just gave him a small smile and sat back down. Tanya didn't have too many more questions, but she did give me her number to pass along to both Aron and the Cullens. She agreed that doing a single national show was best and felt like it would play better if we were all together. Without my emotions getting in the way, I could appreciate that Tanya truly did have a great mind for this.

"It was great to meet you," Tanya said as she hugged me before we left. "Take care of him."

"I will. Thank you, Tanya. Call me when you get a plan together," I responded. I watched as she embraced Edward briefly. He looked uncomfortable, but patted her on the back.

She turned toward the bank of elevators. Edward reached for my hand, but the movement was cautious. I squeezed his gently and started to the car. We didn't speak at all as we made our way back to the house. Edward seemed to be lost in thought, and I let him have his time. Tanya's confidence had given me back some of mine.

This time when he stopped at my apartment, there was no hesitation and no keys left in the ignition. He even jumped from the car and opened my door for me before I could get to the latch. We walked upstairs in silence, but the tension pouring off of Edward was unmistakable.

Once inside, I started toward the bedroom, but stopped when I noticed that Edward hadn't followed. He was perched on the edge of the couch, his left leg bouncing frantically.

"Edward, is everything okay?" Tanya had seemed to think that Edward was happier with me than he'd ever been with her, but his current attitude was starting to scare me.

"No, it's not," he said haltingly. "I'm sorry. I never should have subjected you to dinner with her like that. She made you uncomfortable . . . hell, if I think about it, I've probably made you uneasy today."

I blew out the breath I was holding and waited a moment, letting my thoughts gather and giving him time to say more if he wanted to. He didn't. "I have to admit that it hasn't been the easiest of days. Why don't you tell me what you're thinking? How you feel about seeing her again?" I took a seat on the couch near him, but far enough away to give him his space.

He cocked his head to the side and gave me a curious look. "Okay, Doc," he kind of teased. It was clear he was nervous, though. "I suppose it was good to see her, in that 'long time, no see, old friend,' kind of way. I didn't miss her, and though I'm glad she's here to help us, I don't think I'll be sad to see her go. That feels wrong, but it is what it is."

"And?" I prompted.

"And I felt horrible that Tanya was sprung on you like that. Dinner, at least the first part, felt like some weird stand-off. She was prodding you, and you were fighting back, until you just weren't anymore." His shoulders sagged in defeat.

His next words were whispered so low that I almost didn't hear them. "It's almost like you gave up on me. On us."

It was my turn to laugh, and I felt stupid for ever considering that he might not need me as much as I needed him in my life. "Do you know what Tanya told me in the bathroom?"

He lifted his head and looked at me, his eyes brimming with hurt. "No, what?"

"That you were happier than she'd ever seen you. That she knew now that it was always me, and that all she wanted for you was to be happy. She even told me about your proposal and made me promise to get a better one out of you for myself," I told him. "I'll be honest; I didn't know where your head was tonight. I thought that maybe seeing her had brought back up all the feelings you had for her, and you would realize that she was who you wanted to spend your life with. She _was_ willing to drop everything and come to your aid. You got all dressed up and nervous for dinner with her and basically told her that you didn't want to propose to me."

His mouth dropped open in shock. "That's not what I said at all!" he protested.

"No, it's not, but combined with the rest of your actions today, that's what I heard," I said sadly, reaching over and laying my hand over his, the first touch we'd had since we'd gotten home.

"Goddammit!" he screamed, jumping up to pace around the living room. His hands were pulling at his hair and he looked truly frustrated. "Bella, you have to know that's not what I meant. If I thought that you'd have said yes, I would have asked you to marry me on our second date. I'd planned to do it in Forks, at the park where we had our first kiss, but then you saw Ryan and . . . Now, if I asked, it would seem like I'm only asking because of him."

"To who?" I asked genuinely. I knew that he loved me, and I wouldn't think so.

He scoffed. "Mom, Dad, the rest of the fucking world."

"Does the rest of the world matter?" I asked, curious as to his answer.

"What?" My question stopped him short. "What do you mean?"

I gave him a sad smile. "I'm not looking for a proposal tonight, Edward. In fact, if you were to do it tonight, I think that would be almost as shitty as your proposal to Tanya. But if you have really been thinking about this and that's what's stopping you, I have to ask: why do the opinions of your parents and people we don't even know matter?"

"You wouldn't think that?" he asked quietly.

"Edward, do you want to marry me, spend the rest of your life with me, have more children, and love me until you take your last breath?" I asked in a teasing tone.

"Of course I do," he answered without a moment's hesitation.

"Then that's all I need. That's all that matters to me," I told him. "If your parents think otherwise, it's only because they've been short sighted for years where we are concerned. And all those other people don't get a say."

He took a few steps and rejoined me on the couch, grasping my hand and holding me close. "I'm sorry if I gave you any reason to doubt me tonight or how much I love you. You and Ryan—you're my whole world. I want to be your shoulder to lean on, not the one making the leaning necessary. I love you, Bella."

Unbidden, tears slid down my face. "I love you, too."

I wasn't sure how long we sat there, clinging to each other and soaking up what comfort we could while still in our dress clothes. When we finally broke apart, though, the clock showed that it was after midnight.

"You need to go home and hang this up," I said, somewhat sadly, as I ran my hand over his uniform jacket.

"I do," he said regretfully. "I'll see you tomorrow, though, right?"

I wrinkled my nose. "What are we supposed to do with your parents?"

He shrugged. "Don't care what they do. If they want to show up unannounced, then they have to be prepared not to have our full attention. We need to meet with Aron this week and Maggie about the house."

"Okay, let me know when you need me where. You should go before you're too tired to drive." I smiled sadly and walked with him to the door.

He leaned down and kissed me tenderly, lovingly.

When he was safely in his car and driving away, I took off my dress and hung it up, before throwing on my rattiest pajamas and getting ready for bed. The apartment was quiet—no Alice or Edward to make noise—and I had a little trouble falling asleep when I switched off the lights.

It didn't matter, though. Just after I dozed off, the bed dipped, and a pair of strong arms surrounded my waist.

"Edward?" I asked sleepily.

"Yeah, it's me," he whispered. "Go back to sleep. I just couldn't stand to be away from you, so I came back. Goodnight, my love."

"Night," I mumbled, sighing happily. With him there, I fell into a deep sleep and coasted away to dreamland.

There were reporters outside my office again when I arrived on Monday morning. I managed to slip in the back undetected and run to my office. Chelsea laughed at seeing me slightly out of breath, but grabbed me a coffee and handed me my stack of mail.

According to my calendar, I had five appointments, so there would be plenty to keep me busy and my mind off of all the things that made the weekend so . . . stellar. I succeeded through the first two, and then an email from Edward distracted me.

_Hey babe,_

_Mom and Dad want to have dinner with us tonight. It's up to you. Maggie called early and said that they've scheduled the closing for Wednesday afternoon at 3:00. Can you be there? Let me know about dinner. It's a little crazy over here, so just email or text me when you can. _

_E_

I didn't want to have dinner with the Masens, and it pissed me off that the prospect of it kept me from giving my full attention to the rest of my patients. Between two of my afternoon sessions, I emailed Edward back and told him that I could be there Wednesday afternoon—I had to move someone to tomorrow instead—and that I would be fine with dinner tonight. In reality, I wanted to have dinner with them about as much as I wanted to share a cell with Bob Gerandy.

Edward didn't seem any more pleased by it when he picked me up to go. They had apparently been calling him on and off all day, until finally he called them back, told them that if they didn't leave him alone, he'd accidently bomb a hospital in the Ukraine, and it would be all their fault.

I laughed. "What did they say?"

"My mom spluttered for a few seconds and hung up abruptly," he related with a grin.

"They don't know that you don't actually work with explosives, do they?" I asked.

He chuckled and grinned wider. "I'm not telling them that."

I smacked his arm, but I since I could appreciate his frustration, I let him be. It wasn't as if I was any more excited about going to dinner with them.

Ed and Elizabeth were already at the restaurant when we arrived. We exchanged pleasant greetings and perused our menus, leaving alone the fact that they were here and the reasons why for the moment.

"How's work?" Edward asked Ed when the silence got to be too much.

"It's good. Busy," he commented. He didn't seem inclined to offer anything else.

Edward waited for him to elaborate, and we were all thankful that the server showed up to take our drink orders. She told us the nightly specials and left to let us all think some more. The blanket of silence covered the table once more, adding to the edgy feeling of the evening.

The server finally came back and took our orders and our menus. It was like that was a prearranged signal to begin the conversation brewing in everyone's mind.

"You went to Forks to see Ryan this weekend?" Elizabeth asked.

"We did," Edward answered. "He had some big weekend planned, but because of the media attention, we weren't able to leave the house. We played board games all day instead."

She hesitated. "Is he . . . how is he?" she asked me directly.

I wasn't sure what she thought would happen, but somehow, her plea appealed to the mother in me, and I couldn't resist bragging on him a little. "He's amazing," I gushed. "The kid crushed us all in Monopoly and held his own in the rest of the games."

"How is he dealing with the media attention, or has it made it to Forks yet?" she asked.

Edward scowled. "Oh, it's made it there, and I'm sure this is the talk of the town. The reporters cornered Ryan and Esme in the Thriftway while they were grocery shopping. Of course, Ryan didn't care and is rather excited about getting to be on TV."

"Is that what Tanya suggested?" Ed popped into the conversation.

Edward nodded a little tensely at the mention of his ex. "Yeah, she liked Bella's idea of doing one national show. She's working on it and is going to get with all of us this week."

"Will we need to be on there, too?" Elizabeth asked innocently. I didn't believe that she'd had any knowledge about what was going on, but surely she knew that if they were brought into it, they would be under fire.

"Um, probably not." Edward winced. "That reminds me, Tanya wanted me to ask you, Dad, if you ever actually paid Bob Gerandy."

Elizabeth tossed an unhappy look in his direction, and then turned away, sipping her drink.

"No," Ed declared firmly. "He never convinced you to give Ryan up, so I never paid him. I wanted a better life for you, but you cannot honestly believe that I would ever have condoned or assisted him in this . . . insane plan."

Edward sighed and shook his head. "Dad, I don't know what I believe anymore. You made decisions for me that could have cost me my life. You didn't want us to have Ryan, and you've done everything you could to remove Bella from my life. I never thought you would do that to me, but you did."

"Oh, Edward," Ed sighed. "I'm sorry. There's no doubt that I messed up, that I failed you as a father. I can never be excused for what I did. All I can do is try to make it up to you now. You, Bella, and Ryan."

"Did you invite Tanya on purpose to try to come between us again?" Edward asked, his tone more curious than accusing.

"No, I didn't know she was coming until we saw her at the airport. Her parents are our best friends, Edward. We told them what was going on, and they must have passed it along. I'm done trying to interfere to give you what I think is best—or _thought_ was best," he added with a nod to me. His smile was somewhat conciliatory.

"I'm glad to hear that," Edward said with a nod. "Can we work on you calling _before_ you buy plane tickets now?" His tone was teasing, but I knew he was serious.

Elizabeth's shoulders sagged. "You don't want us here?"

Edward sighed. "It's not that, Mom. I love you, and I miss seeing you more often. We're both really busy this week, though, both during the day and after work. I hate that you came all the way out here when we can't spend time with you."

"I didn't mean to bother you today." Elizabeth winced.

"I appreciate that, but that's not all of it," Edward said, practically pleading with her to understand. "Sometime this week, we have to meet with our attorney. We're still trying to set up a meeting with the Cullens to officially agree on custody arrangements. On Wednesday, we have our house closing."

"You're buying a house?" Ed asked, shocked.

Edward and I both nodded. "It's a beautiful two story with a basement out in the suburbs," Edward reported.

"We aren't supposed to fly home until the weekend. Do you think we could go see it?" Elizabeth asked me excitedly.

It warmed me a bit that she directed the question to me, as if my opinion mattered on the subject. "If everything goes smoothly on Wednesday, perhaps we can go by afterward," I suggested.

That idea seemed to please her, and we were treated to her thoughts on home decoration until our food arrived. Ed asked both Edward and me questions about work. Shockingly, it was a very pleasant evening. When we all got up to leave, after Ed insisted on paying the bill, Elizabeth hugged me hard.

"I know that I can never make it up to you, but I'm so sorry for leaving you like I did," she whispered in my ear. "I'm so glad you are back in our lives."

It didn't completely erase the hurt that had grown in my heart for all of these years, but it did help some. "Thank you," I whispered thickly.

She gave me a watery smile when she pulled away, and I was immediately surprised when Ed also gathered me into his arms.

"You're a good girl, Bella. Thank you for bringing him back to life," he said, for my ears only like Elizabeth had.

His statement took me aback. I murmured, "thank you," but I wasn't able to get out much more than that.

Fortunately, he didn't require a response. As soon as he let me go, he hugged Edward and took Elizabeth's hand. We waved goodbye and watched them go.

"That was . . . unexpected," Edward said, the surprise in his voice unmasked. He stared at the door they'd left through, as if it would hold answers.

"Let's go home," I suggested, wanting nothing more than to spend some time with him and not think about the weird night we'd just spent.

Edward seemed equally ready to stop thinking about his parents. As soon as we crossed the threshold to my apartment, his focus shifted solely to me. He pressed my back against the door and attacked my neck with his mouth.

"Have I told you today how much I love you?" he murmured against my skin. It sent shivers down my spine.

"You can tell me again," I said with a small laugh, which quickly turned into a moan.

"Why don't I show you?" He leaned back. His eyes were full of fire, and it lit me up inside.

I nodded.

Without missing a beat, Edward lifted me into his arms and carried me into my bedroom. Our bodies parted only when necessary to remove one article of clothing or another. First, his shirt came off, and then mine. Somewhere along the way, he divested us both of our pants, leaving me only in the black lace bra and panty set I'd chosen that morning.

Edward groaned as he looked me over hungrily. His finger traced the shell of my bra. "Do you know how gorgeous you are?" he whispered. "I could stare at you for hours and still find something new to appreciate."

I didn't know what to say to such words of adoration, so in response, I ran my hands up and over his chest muscles and shoulders. With just a tiny amount of force, I pulled him down to me and captured his lips with mine. Our chests pressed together, as did the rest of our bodies, and I could feel him _there_, hard and straining against me. I wanted nothing more than to lose the rest of our clothes in that moment.

Edward's arm snaked around my back where it was pressed into the bed and fiddled with the clasp on my bra. With the way we were laying, it took a little longer than normal, but soon, my bra joined the rest of my clothes on the floor, and I could feel my naked breasts pressed against his solid chest.

"Want you," I moaned as his lips moved from my ear down my neck.

He kept going and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth. I couldn't hold back the sounds he was eliciting from me; I didn't so much want to. I wanted him to hear what he did to me.

"Take these off," he grunted, sitting back up onto his knees. I slid out of my underwear; his thumbs hooked in the waistband of his boxer briefs. I watched greedily as he took them off and all of him was revealed to me.

In general, I'd never believed that the male anatomy was all that attractive. I'd always liked what Edward's could do to me, but looking at it had never inspired my lust. That is . . . until he came back into my life. I was sure that the Army didn't have specific exercises for that muscle, but as Edward had filled out, so had that. And now, just seeing it made my mouth water and my thighs clench together.

I felt compelled to take him into my mouth, but as I sat up to do so, Edward pushed me back down to the bed and covered my body with his. I moaned as I felt his warm weight on top of me, and my head fell back, exposing my neck to his wandering lips. It wasn't long before I felt him nudging against me, and I shifted. He slid inside me with practiced ease; we groaned in unison at the sensation. Each time felt as good, if not better than the time before.

Our love-making wasn't slow and sweet; nor was it fast and furious. The pace was just right for what we needed, though, as it always was. Edward pushed me over the edge into orgasm twice, before surrendering to his own. His face stilled, the expression one of half pain, half ecstasy, but all gorgeous. To know that I had given that to him, after the chaos of the weekend, was a heady feeling. I welcomed his weight on top of me as his arms gave out.

Eventually, he kissed me lightly and rolled off of my body, heading to the bathroom to clean up. I followed, grabbing my pajamas on the way.

Back in the bed, Edward held me to him, my head on his chest, as we both succumbed quickly to sleep.

Edward was already out of bed when I woke Tuesday morning, so I threw on my robe and stumbled toward the kitchen. I was already running late, but I knew that I needed to get the coffee started. Instead of being gone, Edward was on my phone, pacing the kitchen. Whoever was on the phone was doing the talking. Every few seconds, he'd run his hands through his hair and tug on it, clearly agitated.

I tried to catch his attention and mouthed, "Who is it?" when he looked at me, but he shook his head and continued pacing.

"Yeah, we'll make arrangements to be there. Keep me posted if there are any more changes. Thanks, man," he finally said, and then hung up the phone. For several seconds, we just stared at each other, neither of us speaking.

"That was Aron," he said, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry I answered your phone, but I saw that it was him calling and didn't want to let it go to voicemail."

"No, that's fine. What did he say?" Knowing who had been on the phone made me rapidly lose my composure.

Edward sank into one of the kitchen chairs. "They've scheduled a hearing for Thursday. With the case against Gerandy proceeding and the media attention surrounding it, they've pushed our case up on the docket."

"Why don't you look happy about this?" I asked warily. This seemed like good news to me.

"Aron said that we shouldn't get our hopes up. Tia, the Cullens' attorney, plays hardball, and he's digging in for a fight," he answered.

"Is there anything we can do from now until then to make things better?" I asked.

He made a face. "Well, he said to make sure we close on the house Wednesday, because that will show that we have room for Ryan in our home. And . . . we have to entertain my parents for a few more days and have your parents here, as well. He thinks that having our families with us, showing their support for us, will help our case."

"He really thinks that will help? They wouldn't be part of his daily, or even weekly, life. My dad's the only one that lives within four hours of here," I argued.

"I know. That's what I said, but he thought it would look good, especially since we were going to be depending on them when Ryan was born, and there are accusations that my dad was involved. Showing him to be supportive of us now cuts off their ability to use that argument," he answered.

I nodded. "Okay, then. You talk to your parents, and I'll call mine. I don't know if Mom will be able to get here, but I'm sure Dad will make it."

Edward still looked worried.

"Is there anything else? What's wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. It's just all coming to a head now. It's real. I'm . . . I'm not sure how to wrap my head around it."

Knowing how he felt, I moved to kiss him and held him for just a moment. When we broke apart to get to our respective days, the lingering urge to just get lost in each other couldn't be denied.

**Well, did those talks go like you thought they would? Are you pleased? **

**Don't forget about the FandomAJD compilation. As well as works by some other fabulous authors, you can find a Ryan POV piece from this story. It won't be available anywhere else until at least the beginning of May. **

**Check out The Angry Man by katinki this week. It's fabulous. **


	25. Chapter 25

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight. If you don't know that, what are you doing here?**

**A/N: Thank you. Seriously, guys. Your support and comments have been amazing and I appreciate each and every one. JenRar is still the most awesome beta. I'm going to let you have this one without further ado. **

**Chapter 25**

In the end, Ed and Elizabeth were only too thrilled to be given a reason to extend their stay; they had been scheduled to leave Thursday morning. Charlie said that he would arrange to switch shifts with Mark, his deputy, to be there. Renee, however, was too busy with Phil's team to fly back here.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," she practically simpered when she finally called me back around four o'clock Tuesday afternoon. "We've got a big game on Thursday, and I just can't miss it. Call me and let me know how it goes?"

I rolled my eyes. I hadn't expected anything less, but it still hurt to know that Phil's game came before my son. "Sure, Mom. Tell Phil and the guys good luck."

We hung up after a few more basic pleasantries. I banged my head against my desk, and then just stared into space. The rational side of me said that it wouldn't matter if she was there or not, but my heart—and the ten year old girl inside me—was hurt by her refusal.

I had to put it aside, though, and spend some time on the problems of my last patient. Mary had, had another episode, and her visions this time had been of a major car accident. She'd described it to her family in such detail that when the news reports came on two days later, they'd all recognized it immediately and tried to keep her from the television. When she found out, she'd gone into a deep depression, blaming herself for the life-threatening injuries the passenger in the car that had been hit had sustained.

After she left, I finished up my notes and called Edward.

"_Hey, baby,"_ he answered distractedly.

"Hey. What're the plans for tonight?" I really wanted him to tell me that dinner, a movie, and an evening full of sex were on his menu.

He sighed. _"I'm not going to be home tonight. Since I'm taking off tomorrow afternoon and most of Thursday for the trial, I've got to cover the office tonight."_

I couldn't hide my disappointment. "Oh, well, I suppose that you being off for the hearing _is_ more important. Call me later?"

"_Bella, I'm sorry,"_ he pleaded. "_Don't be mad. At least I'm not asking you to babysit my parents."_

"I'm not mad, Edward. I'm just disappointed. And hell no, I'm not babysitting your parents," I laughed.

His answering laugh lifted my mood slightly. _"I'll call you later, yeah?"_

"Yeah. I love you,"I whispered.

"_Love you, too." _I heard a ding in the background just as he hung up.

I went home with my briefcase full of papers, and then left them all by the door. I ordered a delivery of Thai food, changed into some comfy pajamas, and flicked on the television. While chowing down on my noodles, I let all of my problems and frustrations disappear into the background of nighttime TV.

Wednesday was full of anticipation and nerves. Our closing was scheduled for three o'clock, and Edward had agreed to meet me at my office at two, so we could ride together. After my last patient left at one-thirty, I could barely contain my jitters.

Edward was almost as anxious as me. His knees were bouncing up and down in the car when I slid in, and his fingers drummed against the steering wheel. His eyes were bright, though. 

"We're about to buy our first house," I squeaked out, grabbing onto one of his hands.

He gave me a nervous smile. "We are. Let's do this."

We pulled out into traffic and made it to the title company office long before we were supposed to be there. Luck was with us, though, and within ten minutes of our arrival, all the necessary parties were present.

We handed over a check with more zeroes on it than I'd ever seen in one place and signed our names about a zillion times. My hand was starting to cramp with the repetition. I tried to read everything, but the words started mixing together. The lawyer slid another page in front of me, detailing what it was. I read through it and signed.

"That's it," he announced with a smile.

"That's it?" I asked.

"That's it," he confirmed. "The house is officially yours." He handed the keys over to Edward, whose eyes were lit up like a kid on Christmas.

"You ready to go see our house?" he asked, his smile huge.

Everyone in the room congratulated us and walked us to the door, shaking our hands as we went. I could barely contain my excitement as we got into his car and started driving toward our new home. Edward picked up his phone and called his parents, while I dialed Alice. We'd managed to hold her off with pictures of the place with the promise that as soon as we took possession, she could come over. Needless to say, she was thrilled to have a reason to leave her shop in the hands of her interns for a little while and got directions.

The house looked a little lonely and forlorn when we pulled up out front. All the signs of life that had accompanied it the last time we were here had been carted away. There were no trash cans by the garage and no mail in the box. With shaking hands, Edward stuck the key in the lock and opened the front door of our home for the first time.

If I thought it looked different from the outside, it was nothing compared to how different it looked on the inside. I knew that once we added our furniture and special touches, it would look like a home, but for now, it was more like an empty cavern. It still gave me warm and fuzzy feelings inside, though, because it was _ours._

"Man, it looks weird," Edward commented as he stared around the empty living room.

"I think we're going to need more furniture," I joked, though I was partially serious.

Edward grunted a laugh. "You don't say. I'm sure Alice will have us a house full by this time next week."

"Next week? You're giving her far too little credit," I teased.

Edward's eyes crinkled as he smiled and strode over to me. He reached out his hand, grasping mine, and tugged me closer to him. "Welcome home," he whispered, before covering my mouth with his in a searing kiss.

I clawed at his shirt, trying desperately to bring us closer together, losing myself in the passion I felt for the man in front of me.

Our moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Regretfully, Edward pulled away, pouting. He took my hand and led me over to the door, where he opened it to admit our first guest. Unsurprisingly, it was Alice. Edward's parents were pulling into the driveway, though, so we stayed at the front door, wanting to give them the tour all at once.

"Oh, honey, it's beautiful," Elizabeth gushed as soon as she stepped out of the car. Ed followed her up to the front door at a more sedate pace.

"Come on in. We'll give you all the tour," I offered, sweeping my hand to the side in a gesture of welcome.

They all walked with us as we guided them through the house. Alice was mumbling mostly to herself and making notes on a notepad she'd dug out of her purse. The only room we told her she did not have any rein over was Ryan's. We wanted him to help us decorate it. It would probably take most of a weekend, but it would be worth it.

After touring the entire place and hearing both Elizabeth and Alice gush over how much they loved it, Ed suggested that all five of us go out to dinner to celebrate—his treat. As we hadn't spent much time with them since they'd arrived, neither Edward nor I could come up with a reason not to.

"Do you mind if I invite Jasper, as well?" Alice asked. "I was supposed to be meeting him for dinner in about thirty minutes."

"No, no," Ed assured her. "The more the merrier."

She left the living room to go call him, and Ed turned to us as soon as she was out of the room. "I'm really proud of you two. This house is great and will be a good place for you to raise a family."

I blinked in shock. This was the first time in more than ten years that Ed had spoken about us and the future in a positive light. This time it wasn't, "That girl has ruined your life!" or "She's just not good for you."

Edward seemed similarly taken aback. "Uh, th-thanks, Dad," he stammered. He reached out blindly, never taking his eyes off his father, and grasped my hand.

Ed looked somewhat abashed and stuck his hands in his pockets, while rocking back and forth slightly. "I know I haven't been the most supportive of your relationship, but I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong. You are good for each other, and I think you'll have a good life together. Better now than when you were just kids, but we were wrong to pull you apart like we did. I'm sorry."

I was speechless. How was I supposed to react to that? The nastier part of me wanted to club him and tell him his apology was too little, too late, but the other, more rational side recognized how hard it must have been for him to admit the wrongdoing in the first place.

Alice saved us from the awkwardness of having to respond, since neither of us seemed to know how to, by coming back in and announcing that Jasper would be joining us. She just had to text him the name of the restaurant we chose.

Elizabeth mentioned a small place that we'd passed on our way into our new neighborhood. Of course, neither Edward nor I had ever been there, so we shrugged and agreed. No more was said about Ed's comment, but I did see Edward give him a stiff hug as we made our way to the car.

Once Jasper had joined us and our food was on the table, Elizabeth brought up the elephant in the room. "So, what should we expect tomorrow? Where are you in this process?"

"To be completely honest, I don't know what to expect tomorrow," I admitted. "DSHS has met with the Cullens, Ryan, and us and deemed both households fit to care for him. The FBI's analysts have proven that we didn't sign the forms relinquishing our rights, but now a judge has to rule to restore them."

"Does your attorney expect them to restore your rights and award you custody tomorrow?" Ed asked as he swallowed a bite of salad.

Edward shook his head. "Restore our rights, yes. Physical custody, no. Ryan has requested to not be removed from the only home he's ever known at this point, and Aron expects them to take that into consideration. Really, we have no idea what will happen when we walk into the courtroom. The case got moved up because of the media attention. They don't want to look like they aren't doing what's right in the media by dragging their feet."

"Well, we'll be there to support you," Elizabeth stated decisively. She even nodded to herself as if to punctuate her declaration. As much as Edward's parents irked me, I appreciated the sentiment, especially since my own mother wasn't going to be.

Jasper asked Ed more about his business, and I sort of tuned out. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular, just reveling in the idea that Edward and I were now homeowners—together. So, it caught me by surprise when Edward called my name.

"Are you going to sit here all night by yourself?" he teased.

I hadn't even realized that everyone else was leaving the table.

"Shit," I muttered with a grin. "Sorry. I spaced out."

"I got that." His own grin was barely hiding. "Let's go back to your place for tonight. We have to be at the courthouse before nine."

We said goodnight to his parents and Alice and Jasper, who were going to meet us at the courthouse in the morning, and went back to the apartment. It was amazing that in one afternoon, it had gone from home, to my apartment. Our home was a big, empty house across town.

Seven o'clock came early after a night of tossing and turning. I was so nervous about the outcome of today. Edward seemed to be, too, and we barely spoke as we got ready to go. We arrived at the courthouse at eight-thirty and found the courtroom that Aron had specified to be empty. We'd already been told that the proceedings were closed, so only those with ties to either family would be allowed to attend.

Charles and Christina Carter were the next to arrive, skirting furtively into the courtroom and shutting the door behind them. "Oh, we didn't know you guys were here yet," Charles said, breathing somewhat heavily. "Did you have to dodge the reporters camped out in the hallway?"

My eyes widened. "The reporters are here?"

Christina nodded as she crossed the room to give me a hug. "Yeah, there were three or four of them up here and two more downstairs. One of the bailiffs was walking toward them, and he didn't look happy, so hopefully, they'll be gone soon. Esme and Carlisle aren't here yet?"

"Nope, we were the first ones. They might be meeting Tia first; I don't know." Edward was starting to fidget in his anxiety, and his eyes constantly swept over the door.

He jumped when it cracked open to admit Aron. We introduced him to Charles and Christina, and he apologized for being late. He was, it seemed, responsible for getting the hallway cleared. We only had a few minutes to speak, though, when the rest of our family came barreling through the door, along with Alice, Jasper, and Charlie. Esme, Carlisle, Tia, and Ryan filed in right after them. Ryan ran over to us and gave both Edward and me big hugs.

Introductions were passed around. Ryan waved to the Masens, but hid mostly behind Edward. Elizabeth's eyes shone with tears, and I saw her mouth, "He looks just like Edward," to Ed. Ed nodded, his own eyes suspiciously bright.

Marjorie scooted in at the last minute as the judge was entering the courtroom. We all scrambled to our own sides of the aisle, with Edward and me on one side and the Cullens on the other.

"All rise," the bailiff called.

My nerves zinged as I stood next to Edward and clasped his hand.

"Court is now in session. Judge Margaret Hill presiding in the case of Masen and Swan vs. Cullen."

"Please be seated," Judge Hill said in a kind voice as she sat and adjusted her own robes. She waited until all of us had taken our seats, before beginning again. "We are here regarding the parental rights of Major Edward Masen and Dr. Isabella Swan and the custody of the minor child, Ryan Parker Cullen. I've looked through the briefs and affidavits submitted to the courts, as well as the reports filed through DSHS. Unsurprisingly, I've also seen the news."

She paused and ordered some notes on her desk. "Mr. Michaels, based upon what I've read, it is my understanding that the child in question, Ryan Cullen, was allegedly stolen from his parents at birth by a Dr. Robert Gerandy. The paperwork relinquishing parental rights and agreeing to the adoption has been found to have been forged and the money set aside for Isabella Swan was not given to her until recently. Is that correct?"

"Yes, your honor," Aron answered.

"It is also my understanding that Dr. Swan and Major Masen discovered that their son was, in fact, alive on May fifth of this year—fifty-four days ago. Is that correct?"

"It is, your honor," he answered again.

Judge Hill sighed and laid her hands flat on her desk. "You all are here in my courtroom to decide this today for two reasons. First, a judge has to rule the termination of parental rights to have been null and void and restore them. Second, I'm concerned about the media attention this is getting and the lack of action by both parties to resolve this through mediation." She held up her hand for quiet as Tia, the Cullens' attorney, opened her mouth to rebut. "I'm well aware that less than two months in a custody battle is a drop in the bucket. Usually, the people I see in my courtroom have been arguing for more than a year. However, from what I can see here, the parties in this case have managed to work out a visitation schedule without counsel's help.

"In the interests of all parties involved, Mr. Michaels, please tell the court what you are requesting today on behalf of your clients," she ordered.

Aron stood and straightened his jacket. "My clients would like their parental rights to Ryan Cullen restored and to gain custody. As it should never have been taken in the beginning, we ask the court to right that wrong now."

"Ms. Stefano?" the judge queried with a raised eyebrow to Tia.

"My clients are challenging their right to custody, both in regards to the legal matters that are still pending and the minor child's welfare. At this point, without a conviction, Dr. Robert Gerandy has only been accused of kidnapping the child and selling him. Until a court issues a ruling in favor of the prosecution in that case, his crimes remain simply accusations. Also, based upon the DSHS report, it is in the best interest of Ryan Cullen to remain in the home he currently resides in." It looked like Tia wanted to say more, but the judge cut her off.

"The ruling in the criminal matter has no bearing in my courtroom," she retorted. "Based upon the evidence that has been provided to me, I find that Edward Masen and Isabella Swan did not willingly and knowlingly terminate their parental rights. In that matter, I find for the plaintiff. As of today, your rights are restored. Let the record reflect that. As for custody, I had hoped that you all would arrive today with a plan that had been agreed to by both sides. Has that happened?"

"No, your honor," both attorneys chorused.

"Have you even tried?" she asked, perturbed.

The answers were rather noncommittal. I knew that was because they hadn't tried. Aron said he had requested meetings, but their side never responded.

The judge practically growled, and when she spoke, her voice was steely. "Here's what is going to happen. Ryan and I are going to go to my chambers and talk for a few minutes. While we are gone, you are going to sit down and come up with something. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, your honor," both attorneys mumbled, appropriately chastised.

"Ryan," she called kindly, "would you come with me please? And Ms. Hollings?"

Ryan nodded and walked through the swinging gate and around the bench, where the judge was waiting at the door that led to her chambers. Marjorie followed close behind. Before I knew it, they were out the door.

Aron wheeled around on us. "What do you want me to fight for here?" he asked quietly. "I can say that you won't accept anything less than sole legal and physical custody, or we can go for another arrangement."

I wanted sole custody, but one glance over at the Cullens told me that I could never do that to them—at least, not at this point. They loved my son like their own, still saw him as their son.

Edward followed my gaze and pursed his lips. "We want sole custody of our son, with visitation rights for the Cullens; however, we will accept joint legal and physical custody, if that's what is necessary," he answered.

Aron nodded, turned toward Tia, and jerked his head toward a table at the other end of the room, where they could confer. All I could do was watch them. I couldn't even speak. Edward held my hand next to me and exchanged a few words with our families. What he said, I have no idea, because all I could focus on were the two people deciding my child's fate—and mine.

The time passed in fits and starts. One time, I looked at the clock and groaned when only four minutes had elapsed. The next time I checked, almost twenty had gone by. Finally, after thirty-seven minutes, the door at the back of the room opened, and Marjorie led Ryan out and back to his seat. Aron and Tia were still in conference, but they jolted back when the bailiff repeated his call of "all rise."

Judge Hill retook her seat and steepled her fingers in front of her. "Mr. Michaels, Ms. Stefano, what have you come up with?"

Aron cleared his throat and stepped back to the table where Edward and I were sitting. "My clients are requesting joint legal and physical custody at a minimum and sole legal and physical custody at a maximum, with visitation for the Cullens. Opposing counsel has rejected our minimum offer and countered with joint legal custody, sole physical custody for the Cullens, and bi-weekly visitation for Major Masen and Dr. Swan. We were unable to discuss this with our clients before your return, your honor."

"So let me get this straight," the judge said with a hint of derision in her voice. "What you are proposing, Ms. Stefano, is essentially for things to remain as they are now, with the exception of legal custody being split?"

Tia looked a bit cowed, but she nodded and replied, "Yes, your honor."

"No," Judge Hill answered simply. "Major Masen, Dr. Swan, is it your intention to remain here in the Seattle area?"

"Yes, your honor," Edward replied. "We just purchased a house here."

"Ah. I didn't see that. When did this happen?" The judge shuffled her notes around, looking for the information.

Edward's tone was slightly amused when he replied, "Yesterday, your honor."

Her head snapped up at his answer, and she shook her head. "Well, that would explain it. Major, if you could write down the address for me and hand it the bailiff."

Edward, however, had thought ahead and brought a copy of our deed with him. He passed it to the bailiff, who handed the paper over to the judge. She glanced it over and added it to the pile.

"Here's what we're going to do. After talking with Ryan, he has expressed the desire to remain in Forks for the time being. Because of the distance between the two cities, joint physical custody will be difficult, but not impossible. Until school restarts, Ryan is to alternate between Forks and Seattle in two week increments. Holidays are to be alternated between, in accordance with state standards, unless both parties can come to alternate agreements. Before the start of the school year, Ms. Hollings will report back to the court. Should Ryan choose to remain in Forks, Major Masen and Dr. Swan are to be given visitation every other weekend, working around Major Masen's Reserve schedule. If Ryan would like to move to Seattle at that time, the Cullens will be afforded the same visitation schedule. Due to his living arrangements, both parties will share legal custody. All major decisions regarding Ryan's life must be cleared by both parties. Also, moves out of the state must be approved by the court. I want to review this arrangement in six months. Counsel, put it on your calendars." Her tone left no room for argument.

"Furthermore, this arrangement will begin on July eighth. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, you are to make Ryan available to come to Seattle to stay with Major Masen and Dr. Swan on that day. I will trust the four of you to handle this Independence Day like adults. Until further action is taken, both parties will alternate years for claiming Ryan on their taxes; the Cullens will claim him this year. Major Masen and Dr. Swan, I leave it up to you as to how you want to handle your finances, but you will be eligible to claim him every other year, starting next year," she continued. "Do either of you have an opinion on child support?"

Tia piped up. "My clients have financially supported Ryan for more than ten years. Major Masen owns his own computer business, and Dr. Swan is a partner in a therapy practice here in Seattle. Surely my clients cannot be expected to provide additional financial compensation here."

"Dr. Cullen is a successful physician," Aron argued. "My clients should not be expected to provide compensation to the people that are keeping their son from them."

Judge Hill slammed her gavel onto the desk. "That's enough, counselors. No child support ordered on either side. Now, you all seem like reasonable people that care for the same young man. I suggest that you learn how to work together for his sake."

Moments later, she dismissed us.

Edward and I sat there staring at the bench where she'd been sitting as she walked back into her chambers. It had really happened. We were officially and legally Ryan's parents, and we had custody of him again. I wasn't sure what exactly to do now.

Noise from behind us snapped us out of our shock. Edward pushed his chair back and stood first, holding out his hand to help me up. Aron shook our hands and told us that he would be in touch; Edward thanked him for all of his help. I was still shocked as I watched Tia and Aron hurry out the courtroom doors, off to finish their days working on other cases.

I turned and surveyed the scene around me. Charles was on his phone, also looking over the crowd. Esme seemed to be in shock, much like I was, though hers was tinged more in relief than mine was. She was still holding onto Ryan; he was trying to worm out of her embrace, but she didn't seem inclined to let go. Carlisle was talking to Christina and Ed.

Edward's brow furrowed, and he strode toward them with determination. I followed, curious as to what had set him off after the good news we'd just gotten.

"Have the two of you met?" he asked, his voice hard.

Ed's brow furrowed in concern as he turned to look at his son. Carlisle seemed merely curious. "Not officially, no," Ed answered. "Why?"

"Have you met before today?" Edward repeated, clarifying his earlier question.

"No," Carlisle answered slowly, as if he couldn't figure out what Edward was getting at. "He was just asking me about where we lived in Forks and how we liked it."

Ed, however, had no trouble figuring out where his son's mind had gone when he saw them together. Ed's shoulders sagged slightly, and his gaze burned a hole in the floor. Charlie saw Edward's tense stance and walked toward us.

"Is everything okay over here?" he asked, Chief Swan out in full force.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Ed muttered with a sigh.

Carlisle's head turned as Charles signaled something to him. "We're going to get something to eat, and Charles has gotten a private room big enough for all of us, if you'd like to join us." He glanced over at Ryan, and then back to Edward and me. "I think today has been a win for everyone."

"Sure, that sounds good," I answered, knowing that Edward and I both had the whole day off. With the tension resurfacing between Edward and Ed, I knew we would not want to spend it alone with them.

I laced my fingers through Edward's and dragged him across the room to where Ryan and Esme were standing alone. Esme gave me a small, sad smile and released Ryan, who came to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Do I really get to come and stay with you and Dad for two weeks at a time?" he asked, his voice muffled in my shirt.

"Yep," I told him. "Every other two weeks until school starts, and we'll have weekends and holidays, too. Do you like that arrangement?"

He nodded, still not letting go. "It's what I asked for," he whispered so low that I barely heard him. I knew that he didn't want Esme and Carlisle to know that he'd asked for this, because we both knew that it would hurt them.

"Then I'm glad the judge listened," I said with a smile. "Hey, you ready for some lunch? Uncle Charles has reserved us a room somewhere."

He nodded again and let go of me. We walked back over to where Edward, Charlie, and Carlisle were still standing. The atmosphere around them was tense, and I thought about guiding Ryan over to Alice and Jasper, but Carlisle called to him first.

While they discussed lunch and moved off to the side, I wheeled on Edward. "What is wrong with you? Aren't you supposed to be happy? The outcome is better than we'd hoped for."

Edward's hands clenched into fists, not angrily, but anxiously. "I don't know, Bella. I saw him talking to my dad, and I just had to wonder if he knew."

"Your dad?" I asked. We'd been over this with him, and while I still didn't like or trust the man, I believed him when he said that he hadn't taken it this far.

"No! Carlisle," Edward hissed.

I took a step back in shock, staring at Edward as if he'd gone crazy. Carlisle had his own issues, which we'd been on the receiving end more than once, but even I didn't think that he knew about Ryan's kidnapping before we told him. His reaction made that plain.

Dad stepped forward and placed a hand on Edward's arm, gently coaxing Edward to look at him. "I asked, Edward. During my interrogation of Bob Gerandy, I specifically asked if the parents knew. They weren't ever told—no one was. Bob was convinced of his ability to get you to agree, and set up the adoption with that thought in mind. When you didn't, he had to work fast. The Cullens were only told that Ryan was the son of a young couple that didn't want him."

"Charlie, did my dad have anything to do with this?" he asked quietly. The sadness was so plain in his voice that I wished I could do something—anything—to take it away.

"Other than planting the idea?" Charlie asked, his voice low and his eyes sad. Edward nodded. "No, son, I don't think he did. I'll never understand or appreciate what he did to my little girl, but he thought he was doing what was best for his child. In the end, he was wrong, but he's suffering for that, too."

Edward swallowed and cast a glance over at his dad. Ed was standing apart from everyone else, watching Ryan interact with Charles, Christina, Elizabeth, Esme, Alice, and Jasper.

"Let's go to lunch," I suggested, bringing the conversation to a halt.

Edward clasped my hand and smiled for the first time since the judge issued her orders. "Yes, let's. We've got some planning to do."

**Was that what you expected to happen? Thoughts? **

**Recs of the week: Learning to Let Go by lvtwilight09. This drabble style fic has me on the edge of my seat for another update every minute. **

**Any of all of the Age of Edward stories. I've read and enjoyed too many to name. **

**The Demons in My Dreams by littlecat358**

**Have a great week! I can't wait to hear what you think!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Yeah. You know this already. Don't steal, m'kay?**

**A/N: Thanks to KareBear for providing some of the adoption info in this chapter. She's also a wealth of knowledge on military matters and rocks out hard. Apparently, getting into West Point is a little harder than I made it seem, but for the sake of the story, we're going to pretend that Edward got in on late acceptance without the fanfare. **

**Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed over the last week. I love hearing from each and every one of you and even if I don't respond, please note that I read each one. I'm going to work really hard over the next two weeks to get this done because I'm going to be starting a new job soon. That's seriously going to cut into my writing time, but it'll mean that I can pay the bills, so . . . **

**Thank you, JenRar for making this prettier. Mwah. **

**Chapter 26**

Lunch was loud. In the private party room of a nearby restaurant, we gathered and talked. Esme and I talked about the logistics of getting Ryan here and what he would need for his two week stays. Alice ran over the plans for our house she'd made the night before and while sitting in the courtroom. Esme joined in on our conversation—she'd decorated their homes in Portland, Los Angeles, and Forks. All in all, it was about as pleasant as it could be. Tanya surprised us all by showing up just as we finished eating.

"Bella, can I talk to you, Edward, Carlisle, and Esme really quickly?" she asked quietly.

"Sure," I answered, somewhat concerned. I pulled them together, and we huddled in an empty corner of the room. Over Carlisle's shoulder, I could see the rest of the table watching us curiously.

"I'm sorry to crash the party like this, but I have to go home tonight, and I just heard back from _60 Minutes_. They want to send a crew out here to do an interview with you as soon as we can work out all the details. Is this what you still want to do?" Tanya asked, confirming what she already knew.

Esme nodded. "If this is what you think is best and that it will get the reporters to leave us alone."

"I do. Once everything is settled, I'll spread the word to the other major news agencies and ask for them to back off. It should work—meaning that your lives can go back to normal within a few days or a week." Tanya reached for and shook Carlisle's and Esme's hands. "Thank you for trusting me on this. I promise I won't let you down." Then, she hugged both Edward and me tightly and said she'd call as soon as she knew more. Before I could do more than react, she was back out the door and on her way to the airport.

After eating, we hugged Ryan goodbye and returned to Alice's and my apartment, while Dad drove back to Forks and the Masens went back to their hotel. I suggested they join us, but Ed had cast a regretful look at Edward and told us they would see us before they left. I wasn't sure what to do, if I could do anything, about the tear in their relationship. Only time and effort, I supposed, would heal it.

Alice opened her laptop and started typing and clicking madly on the screen as soon as we walked in. "If you all like this, I can probably have the painters over there by the middle of next week, and you'll just have to go pick out some furniture."

"Trying to boot us out, Al?" Edward teased.

"Yes. I'm tired of sleeping in Jasper's shithole of an apartment," she answered in a matter-of-fact tone. It was hard to tell if she was being sarcastic or not, until the corners of her mouth twitched upwards as she fought her smile. She flipped her laptop around so that we could see what was on her screen. She'd used the pictures she'd taken to mock up rooms and "coated" the walls with different shades of paint. Her ideas were great and only needed a few minor adjustments. She grinned and left the room with her phone in her hand.

"Huh, so I guess I won't be seeing much of her for the next few days?" Jasper asked, amused.

I giggled. "No, I wouldn't expect to. Sorry, Jasper."

He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "As long as she doesn't expect me to paint, I'm good. I'll just cover the office with Ed here, since he's gonna want some time off when Ryan gets here."

It hit me like a ton of bricks. "What're we gonna do with Ryan?" I gasped, sinking into the sofa cushions.

Edward shook his head, clearly not understanding. "What do you mean? He'll stay here until we get his room set up."

"No, Edward. What are we going to do with him during the day while we're at work? I could take some vacation time, but I don't have—what—six weeks? And I doubt that you can take off two weeks at a time," I explained, the panic welling up even higher.

"What do other parents do with their children while they're at work during the summer?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Send them to summer camp, put them in day care, hire a baby sitter, I don't know. Esme is mostly a stay at home mom. She only sent Ryan to the community center so he could meet some new people before school started."

"Then we'll do what those other parents do," Edward reasoned.

"No! We can't. If she can provide better care for him than we can, they'll take him away again," I wailed, the stress finally wearing down all of my defenses.

Edward sat down next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "They aren't going to take him away if we have to do what every other working family has to do with their kids. We'll figure something out for the first week at least. Maybe I can work all the nights and keep him during the day while you're working. There are all kinds of camps that I'm sure he would like, and we can talk to him about that when he gets here."

That didn't settle my fears, though. Edward and Jasper headed back to their office when it became clear that Alice was going to be tied up with our house remodel, and I was buried behind my laptop, researching various camps for ten-year-old boys.

Edward didn't come back that night, and I settled into an uneasy sleep. I hadn't recovered from my worry from the night before. It bled into all my actions for the rest of the day. My calendar was full since we were closed for the holiday on Monday and Tuesday; it was a struggle to keep my focus where it needed to be. My patients, though, didn't give me any down time. It was after six before I could check my phone, and I saw that I'd missed a call from Esme.

I dialed her back immediately. "Esme? Is everything okay?" I asked hurriedly as soon as she answered.

"_Yes,"_ she laughed. "_Did you check my message?"_

"No, I'm sorry. It's been a long day, and I just called back. What's going on?" I heaved my bag over my shoulder and moved toward the door, checking for lurking reporters on the way.

"_I was calling about this weekend. I know it's not your weekend, but we're having a cook-out for the Fourth and wanted to invite you to come down," _she said. _"The cook-out is on Sunday, and we're going to let off some fireworks after dark. You can just stay here if you want."_

I had to admit, I was shocked. I'd expected things to get a little harder after the judge's ruling, not to be invited to family events. "Uh, um, that sounds great. Let me check with Edward and see what his plans are. I know we're trying to get the house as finished as we can this week. Can I call you later and let you know?"

"_Of course. Just let me know sometime before you get here." _She laughed. "_We can figure out next weekend while you're here, too."_

I made a dash for my car and barely avoided being accosted by the sole reporter that was hanging out near the parking lot entrance. "All right. That sounds like a plan. Thank you."

"_You're welcome. Oh, crap. Ryan!" _she yelled. "_Get that off of your head. If you spill that plant on my carpet, you're cleaning it up! With your toothbrush!" _It took a moment for her to come back to me. _"Sorry about that. Ryan's moving my potted plants around and has decided that carrying them on his head—without hands—is the best way to do that."_

I laughed, envisioning the scene in my mind. "I'll let you go take care of that."

"_Thank you,"_ she groaned. We said our goodbyes and hung up as I pulled out into traffic.

Neither Edward nor Alice were at the apartment when I got there, so I made some dinner and changed my clothes. I'd just sat down on the couch with a glass of wine when Edward came in and plopped down beside me, his eyes closed.

"Long day?" I asked.

"Long day," he confirmed. "And we've got to go furniture shopping. This weekend, maybe?"

"Well, Esme invited us down to stay with them for their holiday cook-out and fireworks," I told him. "It's on Sunday, so . . ."

He sighed. "So, furniture shopping tonight it is. When did you tell her we would be there?"

"I told her I would talk to you about it. Do you even want to go?" I asked, getting a little perturbed with his attitude.

His eyes shot open. "Of course I do." He sat up and grabbed my hand. "Sorry, it's just been a shitty day. We're taking the weekend off—not going back in until Wednesday, I think. Do you want to go down tomorrow so you can help Esme get ready?"

I thought of the barbeques Elizabeth had thrown when we were in high school and how much work she'd put into them. "Yes, that would probably be best. I'll call her in the morning. Furniture? We need to do that now?" I changed the subject, because I needed to focus on something other than seeing Ryan again tomorrow. I was going to get spoiled.

"If we have to order any of it, it will take some time to come in, so yeah, I think we need to go now. What do we already have?"

We spent the next hour while we ate, making notes about what we had and what we were going to need. Ryan's room wouldn't be furnished until he got here, but the rest of the house needed to be. Edward's couch was going downstairs and the one in our apartment was actually Alice's. We had a table for the kitchen, but would need something more formal for the dining room. Edward's bedroom suite was new, and mine would suffice for the guest room. He already had all the stereo and entertainment pieces, but wanted something to put them in.

Armed with the list of what we needed, Edward and I loaded up into his car and drove to the same furniture store he'd bought his bed and desk at less than a year ago.

The saleswoman that helped him then remembered him—not that I was surprised. I figured that she had probably been hoping to use the bed he'd bought before, judging by her reaction. I looked on in amusement as she asked him what he was looking for and how she could help him. The funniest part, though, was her reaction to me.

"Marcie, this is my girlfriend, Bella." He pulled me closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. "We've bought a house, and now we need everything on this list." Edward handed it over, but Marcie barely scanned it. She was too busy shooting daggers at me with her eyes.

"Hello, Marcie," I said sweetly, doing my best to rein in my laughter. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too," she simpered, and then turned her attention back to Edward. She handed the list back and suggested that we walk through the store for a bit to get an idea of what we liked and wanted. She assured him that if he had any questions, she would make herself available to help.

Deciding on a dining room table and buffet wasn't difficult. We knew what we each liked and found a set that fulfilled our requirements. We added another dresser for Edward's set so I would have somewhere to put my clothes. Even the entertainment center didn't cause a huge amount of grief, as I didn't care that much about it. Couches, however, were another matter entirely.

Edward liked big leather monstrosities. He sat on every single one and tried to sell me on their virtues. He had no chance. The problem was that while he was over six feet tall, I wasn't, and when I sat down on them, my feet didn't hit the floor. My little body would sink into the cushions, and I couldn't get out again. Without my feet able to anchor me in place, I would slide off the slick leather until they did touch, but by then, my butt was halfway off the couch.

"You're doing it on purpose," Edward accused. "If you just sat down, you wouldn't have any problems."

I rolled my eyes and tried to do as he suggested, only to slip again, this time into one of the cracks in the cushion, where I got stuck.

"No leather," I declared, and walked over to sit on one of the microfiber couches with puffy back cushions.

It took a while for us to find one we both liked, and then another twenty minutes for us to agree on a color. I insisted on something dark, because we were bringing a kid into the house—that, and Edward wasn't the neatest person on the planet. In the end, we agreed that the chocolate brown color they had would go well with Alice's paint color and the entertainment center. By that point, Marcie was glad to be rid of us, as the store was closing, and she'd gotten the hint that I wasn't going anywhere.

Before we left, she promised that all of our furniture was in stock in their local warehouse and that she would have it delivered the following Friday. Edward gave her his cell number for the delivery guys to call when they were on their way. She looked tempted to keep it for herself, but I looped my arm through his where she could see it, and she scowled.

"Did you enjoy tormenting the poor sales girl?" Edward teased once we'd left the store.

"She couldn't take a direct statement!" I defended. "You told her I was your girlfriend, and she was still trying to figure out how to get me out of the way."

He shrugged. "Wouldn't have worked."

I grinned at him. "You are so sweet. I love you."

"I love you, too." He bent down and pecked me lightly on the lips, before going around to the driver's side of the car and getting in.

That night, we fell in bed, legs tangled, hot and sweaty from our lovemaking. All the pieces that our lives had been separate were finally falling into place creating one, beautiful whole. After all of the stress and heartache we'd both endured over the last ten years, the peace that was settling over our lives was even more welcome.

A slamming door and stomping feet woke me early Saturday morning. Edward was still laying next to me, snoring lightly. His morning run had been foregone in favor of sleeping in before the drive to Forks. I slid out from underneath his arm and crept out of the room so that he could get as much rest as possible.

Alice was in the kitchen, throwing towels around and banging all of the parts to the coffee pot as she used them.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I asked.

She huffed and flopped down into one of the kitchen chairs, momentarily giving up on her pursuit of caffeine. I took over, because I would be damned if I didn't need some to get my day started.

"I'm just so frustrated, Bella."

I had a bad feeling that I was part of the reason for her aggravation. "Why so?"

She jumped up and started pacing. "I mean, I get that Jasper is a guy and he's used to living on his own in his bachelor pad and that he has some unusual attachments to his stuff, but I can't handle this. It's too much."

"What did he do now?" Edward asked through a yawn as he walked into the kitchen.

"He wants to keep his couch when he moves in," she declared, as if this was the greatest crime known to man.

I scoffed at her dramatics and was surprised when Edward groaned. "No, he doesn't want to do that, does he? That thing needs to be burned, not moved."

"That's what I said! And we don't need couches. The ones here are mine, but this morning, he set that as a condition of him moving in here, that he be allowed to bring along that nasty ass couch." Alice folded her arms across her chest and clearly pouted.

I didn't understand what the issue was. If the couch was so important to Jasper, Alice needed to give in and let him bring it. I told her so.

"No, you don't understand, Bella. I won't even sit on the thing without a sheet over it. Jasper found it while he was stationed in Texas, and he's dragged it around with him ever since. Oh, did I fail to mention that he found it on the curb after someone else threw it away? The thing is nasty," Edward said.

I'm sure I looked as grossed out as I felt. "Why does he keep it? It could be crawling with vermin!"

Edward laughed. "He had it cleaned, but I think it holds some sentimental value or some crap like that."

"Alice, I really think that this isn't the thing to put your foot down over. So it's ugly. That's why Pottery Barn sells slip covers. If the couch means that much to him, you're going to have to accept it," I told her. "How would you feel if he told you that you had to cut your shoe collection in half to move in with him?"

She looked aghast. "He wouldn't," she breathed. But her shoulders sagged in defeat, and I knew my comments had finally sunk in. "Dammit. I hate it when you're right." Alice stomped over to the coffee pot, now full to the brim with liquid, poured herself a cup, and retreated to her room.

I poured a cup for both Edward and myself and sat down at the table. He took the seat next to me, but it was clear he'd rather be back in bed. "Why are you up, sweetheart?" I asked gently. "You look like you could use a few more minutes of sleep."

He yawned and shook his head. "There's not enough time left for me to get back to sleep and for it to do any good if we want to get on the road and be there before nightfall." He paused, and a silly smile spread across his face. "If I had a nasty couch, would you let it in our new house?"

"Uh, yeah," I said warily, before taking a sip of my coffee. "I might relegate it to your man cave or the basement, but it could come. I guess it's lucky for me that you have better taste than Jasper, right?"

Edward laughed and nodded. "When were you planning to call Esme? I've got a couple of errands to run this morning, and I need to know what our timetable is."

"I was going to wait until at least eight," I said teasingly. "Go on and run your errands. Just be ready to go around eleven, I guess? I'll call you after I talk to her."

He kissed me goodbye and headed out to do whatever he needed to do. As it turned out, that was a good thing. I packed up before I called Esme, and she was thrilled with the suggestion. There were some items that she wanted for the picnic, but couldn't find in the meager selection at the Thriftway, and I agreed to pick them up before we came down. None of it was overly unusual, just things like different kinds of cheeses and specialty crackers, but the local store's selection had always been pitiful. By the time I finished grocery shopping for her, it was after eleven, and Edward was waiting for me in the living room.

Silently, he moved the groceries from my car to his and stuffed our bags in around them. His expression was one of deep concentration, more than would be warranted for his simple task, but I waited until we were underway to ask about it.

"What's bothering you?" I asked, breaking the quiet. He hadn't even turned on music.

"Hmm?" he asked in return, still not looking at me. "What? Oh, nothing. Just thinking." He dismissed my concerns as if his own behavior weren't startling.

I wanted to press further, but he chose that moment to reach over and click on the stereo, effectively eliminating our ability to have a conversation. I could have turned it down, or off, and pestered him about it. Instead, I thought about all that had changed in our lives over the past couple of months. Our ten-year old son was alive, we now shared custody of him with the people that raised him, were dealing with a criminal trial against Gerandy, and moving in together. For years, Edward had lived a structured life, defined by his military service, and now his life had been thrown upside down in less than two months. That was a lot for anyone to take in, so I left him to his brooding.

He continued his silent contemplations until we pulled into the Cullens' driveway. At Esme's instruction, he unloaded the groceries into the kitchen and stashed our bags in the spare room. His step was lighter than I'd expected after our torturously quiet drive down.

"Hey, Esme, would you mind if I borrowed Ryan for a little while?" he asked, sticking his head around the kitchen doorway.

She smiled at him and gave a half shrug. "Not at all. He hasn't had lunch, though, so be warned. He'll probably try to bribe you into stopping somewhere."

"Eh, I've got to eat, too. Thanks!" He disappeared around the corner so fast, I almost thought I'd imagined him there.

Something was definitely up with him. Not that I expected him to care for all of my needs when I was perfectly capable, but he'd never asked if I wanted lunch and hadn't even said goodbye to me before he jetted out.

While we put things away, I found an opened box of the crackers Esme had asked me to pick up. It was odd, but since they had just been up in the city, I wrote it off. She tried to keep me engaged in conversation. My mind was only half there, though.

Edward's odd mood had commenced after their discussion about Jasper's couch this morning and his question as to whether or not she would let him bring something so horrible into their home. I thought my answer had been satisfactory, making it clear that I would, but I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, I'd messed up. If Esme noticed my distraction, she was kind enough not to mention it.

Once all the food was put away, Esme grabbed some Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and cheese, and motioned me to the table. I was too nervous to eat much, but I was starving.

"Do you mind going over this list with me again? I just feel like I've forgotten something," she said, sliding the list so we could both see it. She was planning to serve hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, chips, baked beans, and pasta salad. She'd also gotten a huge veggie tray for everyone to munch on throughout the day, and of course, the crackers and cheese I'd picked up.

"I think this looks good," I told her honestly. "Do you have all the extras?"

When Esme gave me a strange look, I clarified. "You know, plates, cups, drinks, utensils, buns, cheese, and condiments?"

"Drinks!" she shouted. "That's what I forgot. Thank you. We need two liters. Let me text Carlisle and have him bring some home. How many do you think we need?"

The next five minutes were spent trying to decipher how many of each type of soft drink she needed to have Carlisle pick up and who all exactly was coming. She also wanted to have some wine coolers and beer on hand. Carlisle had invited a few people from the hospital, and they'd invited a few of Ryan's friends and their families. Dad was even going to stop by for a short time. After all, even if he was on duty, it wasn't like Forks was so big that he'd be too far from the station if he was needed.

"I hope you don't mind lasagna for dinner," she said as she stood from the table. "With all the cooking we'll do tomorrow, I didn't want to slave over a hot stove tonight." She pulled an already assembled dish from the refrigerator and popped it in the oven.

"No, that sounds great," I told her with true enthusiasm. Her lasagna really did look good.

"Actually, Esme, I thought I would take Bella out to dinner, if that's all right with you," Edward said.

I wheeled around to see him leaning against the doorframe. I hadn't heard them come in.

She gave him a sly smile. "I don't mind at all. You two have fun."

Fun? Unless his mood had improved substantially—which, judging by the frown line between his brows, it hadn't—I wasn't sure I wanted to spend a couple of hours stuck at a table with him. He did look sort of hopeful, though, so I acquiesced and trudged upstairs to get changed.

"Oh, Bella," he called after my retreating form, "wear something casual."

In Forks, casual meant a meal at the diner. I couldn't complain; we had a lot of good memories there. However, if I had to choose between diner food and Esme's lasagna, we'd be staying in. Since it didn't seem like it was my choice, I threw on a pair of capris and a hunter green peasant shirt I'd packed on a whim.

Edward was standing somewhat impatiently by the front door when I came out, and I ducked my head into the kitchen to tell Ryan and Esme goodbye. Ryan gave me a huge hug, and Esme smiled at me—almost knowingly.

He was a gentleman, as always, as he helped me into the car and shut the door behind me, before walking around to the driver's side and sliding in. He put the car in reverse and pulled into the street. Almost immediately, two things became abundantly clear. First, Edward's mood hadn't improved any in the intervening hours. If anything, it was worse. His hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles were white, and his shoulders were as tense as Atlas'. Second, we weren't going to the diner.

_Oh, God, what if he took Ryan out to tell him that when he came to visit, he'd be alternating between our places, because we weren't going to be together anymore? _I thought, the panic welling up inside me. _What if this is his way of letting me down?_

The car stopped, and I looked at my surroundings for the first time. We were at the park. In the distance, I could see the baseball fields, and off to my right were the swings and the jungle gym. On the left, I knew from experience, was a covered pavilion filled with picnic tables.

I was startled when Edward opened my door and held his hand out for me to take. Gingerly, I accepted, still nervous about what was to come. He led me over to the pavilion, and one table in particular. On it was a checkered tablecloth and a couple of pillar candles, as well as a basket. I sat at one end, while Edward grabbed a lighter from his pocket and lit the partially burned candles I recognized from my own apartment.

"I thought these might work better since the wick will be shielded from the worst of the wind," Edward said as he finally got them lit and reset in the middle of the table.

"You planned ahead for this," I said aloud as reason dawned.

He nodded and chuckled. "I did. Amazing, I know." He reached into the basket and pulled out two Chinet plates, some napkins, two cans of Dr. Pepper, and fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and biscuits—what I'd once deemed the perfect picnic food.

"It's not bowling alley food," he pretended to lament. "But I couldn't bring their burgers all the way from Seattle, and the bowling alley in Port Angeles only serves nachos and hot dogs. Not at all appropriate."

I laughed, remembering our date some weeks ago when I'd declared that I preferred the bowling alley burgers to haute cuisine. "This is good," I assured him. "What's the occasion?"

He shrugged. "I just wanted to spend some time with my girl. It's been a really hectic couple of weeks, and this seemed like a good way to slow down."

I bit my lip and considered hard about what I was about to do, but I decided that I'd rather know outright than let my mind wander. I also took a bite of chicken and ate it before speaking. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong? I might not be able to fix it, but I can listen." Internally, I prayed that "I'm tired of you" wasn't what was wrong.

"Nothing's wrong, Bella, honest. I just have a lot on my mind," he protested, a little too heartily in my opinion.

"If you're sure . . ." I said doubtfully.

"I am." His tone was decisive and his expression was clearer, though I could still see hints of his anxiety.

We spent the time while we were eating just catching up. Even though we spoke every day and saw each other almost as much, there had been many things that neither of had shared. It turned out that though Edward liked Ben, he was having a hard time relating to him.

"He's such a nice guy, and I have no doubt that he'll be good to Ang," he said. "It's just that he's what you think of when you think of your stereotypical computer hacker nerd. As much as I'm good at what I do and enjoy it, Ben takes it to a whole other level. The other day, he hacked into the Pentagon—the Pentagon!—just to see if he could beat his previous best time. We had to call in and let them know we were testing their security."

"Is he going to be problem?" I asked, concerned.

"No." Edward shook his head. "It's not that at all. It's just that I can't relate to the guy. And Jasper is so far caught up in Alice-land that he's barely spoken."

"I can imagine that's probably how he felt when we first got back together," I said, sort of commiserating with Edward and Jasper at the same time.

"You're right. It's just such a shock seeing my best friend that way, when in the past, his idea of being hung up on a girl was doing her twice." Edward laughed. "Though I've got to admit, this is a lot better."

I had to agree and said so.

"Hey, you want to walk for a minute, since it's not raining?" Edward asked suddenly.

It was a decent evening, though there was a light cloud cover. I stood and waited while he threw away our trash in the provided cans and loaded everything else back into the picnic basket. He ran it to the car and was back at my side in less than a minute. We walked side by side, our hands linked, through the park that was the center of activity for my childhood.

"You know, this is the first place I ever saw you," Edward said out of the blue.

"What? No, it isn't. That was at school," I reminded him.

Edward shook his head. "Nope. That was the first time you saw me. I saw you the day you got into town, a week before school started, here in the park. You were sitting over there, underneath that big tree, reading a book. Every once in a while, your eyes would dart up and you'd look at all the people around you, but mostly, you stayed curled against the trunk, reading."

I remembered that day. I had gotten into town on an early morning flight, having spent all night in airports because of various delays, and Charlie had dropped me off at home because he had to work. He was taking the rest of the week off to get me settled in, but had to work one last day to cover someone else's vacation. After I'd put my clothes away and showered, I'd gotten bored and wandered down to the park.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" I asked incredulously.

He shrugged. "It didn't seem that important, other than it sparking my interest in you. The first day of school, when you deigned to speak to me, was much more interesting."

"Yeah, interesting isn't quite the word I would use," I mumbled. "Mortifying is much more like it."

I was still embarrassed by how I'd behaved that day. At my old school, some of the popular boys had made bets about whether the coolest guy in school could get in the new girl's pants. He romanced her and carried her books to class all the time, until she finally gave in and went out with him. A month later, her ruined underwear were hanging on her locker when she got to school. It got so bad that she had to transfer to another school. When Edward came up to talk to me, I loudly told him that I wasn't going to sleep with him and that he shouldn't even bother. Once I'd gotten to know him, I'd apologized profusely, but he'd laughed it off, saying that I'd upped his street cred.

"It's also where we had our first pseudo-date," I reminded him.

"Ah, yes, the baseball game," he mused. "The date that wasn't a date."

He'd invited me to come watch him play a game, and I'd dressed up for the occasion, thinking that it meant he wanted to spend some time with me afterward. After our first encounter, one would think I would stop assuming where he was concerned, but I hadn't learned my lesson. When Lauren Mallory called me out on my sundress at a baseball game after it was over and the team was leaving together, I'd been too embarrassed to admit what I thought and started walking home, completely dejected. Edward had run across the field to me and tapped me on the shoulder. _"I think you look beautiful," he'd said. "I wish I didn't smell so bad so that we could go out. Maybe you can wear that dress again for me sometime?"_

"There were also the nights when we'd stop here after our dates, and I'd push you on the swings," he mentioned as we drew near them.

"And the night I told you that you probably shouldn't push me so high because I was pregnant with our baby," I recalled fondly. He'd been so shocked, but completely happy when he realized what I'd just said.

Edward's hand squeezed mine a little tighter. "And this is the first place you saw our son."

"It is," I murmured. We'd turned so that we could see the side of the baseball field.

"I'd like to add another memory to this park," Edward said softly as he got down on one knee beside me. "Isabella Marie Swan, I've loved you for almost half my life, and I'm going to love you until my last breath is gone. Would you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?"

**There. Was that worth the wait? Did he do better this time?**

**The couch shopping story is mostly true. This is what happened when my husband and I went. It wasn't pretty. **

**Rec of the week:**

**Saving Myself by 107yearoldvirgin—it's hilarious and so OOC. You'll love it. **

**Stolen Secrets and Shattered Dreams by FoxxyJ—read it. This chapter is over so go do it now. **

**Fatherhood, Formula and other F words by anhanninen—a great WIP with Edward thrust into sudden fatherhood. You don't get much funnier than watching (reading?) a guy with no child experience try to juggle one. **

**Leave me a note. Let me know what you think!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Sigh. Do you really need this? Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this plot. **

**A/N: A huge thank you goes out to KareBear for helping me so much with the Reserve information. That and for her service to our country, both in active duty and the Reserves. She's a gem and the world is a better place with her in it. **

**Thank you to each of you that took the time to read and review this week. I read and treasure each and every one. JenRar made this mess better and encourages me every day. On with the show.**

**Chapter 27**

I froze. In all the times that we'd talked about getting married, the concept was abstract to me. Logically, I knew that he would ask one day. I just never thought that day would be today—here in the Forks Community Park.

And yet, staring down at the man before me whom I loved more than life itself, I mused that it couldn't have been more perfect and that I couldn't wait to be his wife.

"Yes," I whispered, my throat clogged with tears. I pressed my right hand over my racing heart as Edward slid the ring on the third finger of my left hand. As he stood, his own grin as wide as mine, I held up my hand and looked at the ring he'd chosen for me.

It was beautiful in its simplicity. A platinum band wound around my finger like waves on a rolling sea, leading to a sparkling round diamond in the center. Underneath the diamond, the band was held up by a delicate filigree inlaid with three tiny diamonds on each side. In a word, it was exquisite.

"Wow," I whispered, and then giggled at the phrase that didn't do it justice.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked nervously, wrapping me in his arms from behind and peering over my shoulder.

"It's gorgeous," I said with a trace of awe in my voice. "Did you pick this out on your own?"

"What? You didn't think I could do this by myself? Actually, I did. I had to have it resized, though. I used your sapphire one when I bought it, and then realized you wore that one on your right hand," he said, still grinning like a loon.

"When did you do all of this?" I asked, glancing back toward the pavilion with the picnic basket and realizing that this wasn't a spur of the moment decision.

Edward laced his fingers with mine and swung our clasped hands between us. "I had Ryan help me with it this afternoon. I had a hard time keeping him away from you when we got home; I was afraid he'd spill the beans before we ever got out of the house. It felt a little weird to be talking to our kid about us getting married, but he's all for it. Wants to be part of the wedding, too."

"Of course he will be. When, um, how long do you want to wait?" I asked, suddenly nervous.

He laughed at me. "If I said that I'd only be willing to wait the three days as required by law, would that be a problem?"

I smacked his arm with my free hand. "I think it takes a little longer than that to pull a wedding together. Seriously, though, did you have a time frame in mind?" We started walking again and ended up at the swings. We sat down on them, side by side, and floated back and forth with our hands still joined.

"Bella, I've wanted to be married to you for the last ten years," he said with a touch of seriousness to his voice. "I don't want to wait years more. That said, however long it takes you to plan a wedding with which you will be happy, that's how long I'll wait."

"Would you be disappointed if we did something small? I mean, not too small, but I don't want to invite the entire town of Forks." I could feel my cheeks flush. I'd always dreamed of getting married in Angela's dad's church in Forks. Of course, the last time I really thought about it seriously, I lived here full time.

"Bella, as long as you meet me at the altar, I don't care where we are. We can go to Vegas if you want," he responded, his lips curved into a soft smile. He leaned around the swing chain and kissed me, making my toes curl.

We decided to stop at the station on the way back to the Cullens' house to tell Charlie. I could call Renee later, and Edward didn't care when he told his parents. He assured me that he would call them before the weekend was out, but things hadn't improved much where his feelings for them were concerned.

"Hey, Mark," I called to the deputy behind the desk.

He lifted his head, clearly not expecting to hear his name. "Well, hey there, Bella, Edward. I didn't know you were coming in town this weekend. You wanna go back and see your dad? He's in his office, catching up on some paperwork."

"Thanks, Mark." I flashed him a wide smile and lifted the countertop to slide behind the desk.

Edward took it from me and closed it behind him. He trailed behind me as I weaved my way through the desks, all empty for the weekend.

"Knock, knock," I said as I knocked on the door jamb to my father's office. As usual, his door was open and some game droned on from his small television in the corner.

"Hey, guys! What are you doing here? I didn't forget something, did I?" Dad's brows knit together in concern.

Edward shook his head. "Nah. The Cullens invited us down for a barbeque tomorrow. You're welcome to join us, by the way." We moved into the room and sat in the chairs on the visitor's side of the desk. I didn't want to think about the last time we'd sat here.

"And you just thought you'd come visit your old man at work?" Dad said, a touch of amusement coloring his tone.

"We might have some news," I countered teasingly.

His eyes darted down to my hands, and he grinned. "It's about time, boy."

I gasped. "You knew?"

"Of course he knew," Edward retorted. "I called him and asked for his permission."

Dad rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but that was months ago."

Suddenly, a conversation about Edward's plans to propose when we were in town for our reunion flittered through my mind. At the time, I hadn't really thought he was serious. Apparently, I'd been wrong.

"Anyway," I cut into their banter that I wasn't listening to. "We wanted you to be the first to know, so here we are."

Dad smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in his happiness. He stood and came around his desk, meeting me with a hug as I rose from my chair. "I'm happy for you, Bells," he whispered. Our physical affections never lasted long, but when he released me, he held out his hand and shook Edward's.

Seeing his support and his true care for us as individuals and as a couple solidified my resolve to have a wedding where my dad could walk me down the aisle.

"Charlie," Mark called, his voice on edge. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need you to get over to Mark's. His boy just called in some suspicious characters at the pumps."

"Call when you get done?" I requested. I knew my voice sounded small, but I wasn't prepared to lose my dad to some idiots looking to rob a gas station.

"Will do," he said, patting my shoulder on his way out.

Edward and I followed him as far as the parking lot and watched him pull out onto the street in a hurry.

"He'll be fine," Edward murmured. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and rubbed his large hand down my arm.

We stared off into the direction he'd gone for another minute, and then got quietly into the car and started the drive back to the Cullens' house. I thought about calling my mom, but I wanted Ryan to be the next to know, even if he had known the proposal was coming.

Thankfully, Forks was a small town, and it didn't take long before we were turning onto their driveway. Ryan must have been watching for us, because he ran out on to the porch before we even got the car into park.

"And?" he yelled.

Edward held up his fists triumphantly, and Ryan let out a loud whoop. He ran down the steps and high-fived Edward, who was closer to him. I laughed at his antics and saw Esme shaking her head and laughing from the porch. Ryan then ran over to me and hugged me so hard, I could barely breathe. I slung my arm over his shoulder once he let go, and together, the three of us walked up to the house.

"Congratulations," Esme offered with a smile, holding out her hand to see my ring.

I let the boys go into the house without us as I showed it to her, and she oohed and aahed over it appropriately. When we rejoined them in the living room, Carlisle was offering what appeared to be hearty congratulations to Edward, and then he gave me a big smile.

We all sat around the room and Ryan brought out the controller for his Wii. I wasn't sure what he was playing—it looked like some strange version of Zelda that I'd never seen.

"What do you all have planned for next week?" Carlisle asked. His tone was friendly and interested.

I shrugged. "We planned to work on Ryan's room some, I think, but there's not anything major. I thought about seeing if Ryan wanted to go to zoo camp while he's in Seattle, too."

"Zoo camp?" Ryan asked, perking up a little and tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, they have these programs where you can spend a few hours each day helping the zookeepers and learning about the animals," I told him. "It looked really interesting, but I didn't know if you'd want to do that."

He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Sounds cool."

Esme rolled her eyes and suppressed a smile. "He'd love that," she whispered. "What are you going to do with him during the other days? Not that it matters—it's been so easy with me being at home that we never had to worry about it, but Charles and Christina had to go the camp route every year until the girls got older."

"My schedule is pretty flexible," Edward said, his eyes leaving the screen and focusing on Esme. "Once I get the internet lines installed, I can work from home, or I can take the night shifts. The only time we might have a problem is when I have one of my training weeks later this summer. I'm not sure when or if it's going to fall within our two weeks or not."

"Don't worry about that. Just let us know when it is, and we'll work around it. Switch out a week here or there to make up for it," Carlisle said. His sudden change in attitude struck me as odd, but I didn't want to call him out on it in front of Ryan.

Edward must have had the same thought, because he gave Carlisle an odd look. Carlisle didn't catch it, though. He was too busy instructing Ryan on how to get something in the game. This was a side that I hadn't seen, Carlisle playing with Ryan and Ryan acting as if it was totally normal. Then I considered that every time we'd all been together, it had been chaotic or emotionally stifling. Clearly, something over the last few weeks had loosened Carlisle up to the point he was allowing us to see something that was normal for them.

The rest of us watched them for a few minutes. Until, that is, my bladder made it known that I really had to go. I excused myself from the room and practically ran to the bathroom down the hall. While I relieved myself, I couldn't help but stare at the gorgeous ring adorning my hand. Edward really had done a fabulous job. It was simple, but still had flair.

My next stop was the kitchen, and I was surprised to find Carlisle in there, getting drinks for everyone else.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," he joked, flashing me a smile.

His joviality reminded me of my earlier suspicions, and I pinned him with my stare.

"What's changed?" I asked simply, hoping that he would understand without me having to spell it out.

Carlisle sighed and set down the glass he was holding. "Certainty. I know now what to expect. You aren't some random people popping back into my son's life to create havoc. You love him as much as we do and only want what's best for him. I didn't see that before." He held up his hand to stop my retort. "It's not that it wasn't there, Bella. You have to see things from my perspective. After ten years, this young couple shows up out of the blue, claiming that my son is actually theirs. Other than the fact that he looks exactly like Edward, there was no proof of it. And when that proof came in, it didn't erase the concrete evidence I had in the form of signed affidavits relinquishing your parental rights. I had a paper stating that you didn't want him. All I could see was that now that the hard part was over, you wanted to swoop in and play house. I didn't know if it was 'seller's remorse' or just some urge you had to pretend, but regardless, I could see Ryan getting caught in the middle and hurt when playtime was over. And if it wasn't that and your story was true, then my wife and I were going to be devastated when our son was ripped away from us. We love him, Bella. Now, though, I know that isn't going to happen, at least not right away, and that allows me some level of comfort."

I nodded, finally able to understand where he was coming from. I hadn't considered things from that perspective, and now that he'd put it out there, I could see why he'd been so cautious and negative where we were concerned. I didn't like it, but I could understand. "Thank you for telling me. You have to know that we'd never do anything to intentionally hurt him, though."

"I do know that now," he assured me. "Otherwise, I wouldn't let you in his life if I could help it."

I smiled at him and shook my head. We'd found common ground, it seemed.

"Help me with these?" he requested, holding up three of the five glasses he'd poured.

I walked around the counter, grabbed the two he'd left, and followed him back into the living room. Edward was trying to play the game with Ryan, and Ryan was correcting him almost constantly. Carlisle strode toward them and got in on the action.

"So," Esme started when I sat down and handed her a glass, "what are your plans where this wedding is concerned?"

"I have no idea. I'd like to get married in Forks, if we can, and we both want something small. I guess it all depends on how quickly we can pull it together," I told her.

She grimaced slightly. "I'd be happy to help if you like, but I'm not sure if you really want to do it here."

"Why not?"

"The gossip has gotten . . . extreme. Most people try not to repeat it to me, but there are a few that haven't been so quiet when I'm standing behind them in the checkout lane," she said quietly. I could hear the sadness in her voice.

"What are they saying?" I asked, unable to believe that the people I grew up with could be malicious. Gossipy, yes, they'd always been that way, but to be deliberately mean about us was something else all together.

"There's one rumor that Bob Gerandy had Ryan taken from you because you were an unfit mother and you are retaliating now that you have your life together. There's another one that you broke up Edward's engagement to another woman and are holding him to you with threats that he won't be allowed to see Ryan. One lady even accused me of buying Ryan from a black market baby dealer, saying that Bob Gerandy would never have been involved in something so sinister. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how small towns are," Esme said sadly.

"You've got to be kidding me," I gasped, appalled.

She shook her head. "I wish I was. Most people have been nice, at least to my face. A few have said that we should go to jail, too, for buying a stolen baby. A few have told us that we should keep Ryan, as we seem to be better parents than you would be. It's frustrating, mostly because these people don't really know any of us. We just moved here, and you've been gone for ten years."

For one second, I thought that it would be better to get away from these small minded people and not to have them anywhere near me on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Then, another idea occurred to me and a slow smile spread across my face. "Let them talk. If they have nothing better to do than make up stories, so be it. It's my wedding day, and they won't be invited. Instead, they can watch from outside as you all _are_ invited and we all get along just fine."

Esme laughed loudly and patted my hands. "I think that'll do just fine. If it's small, do you want to have the reception here? We can set a tent up in the back yard or do it in house if need be."

I wanted to immediately dismiss the notion, but the truth was that I could see it. We could hang fairy lights in the trees and put a small dance floor underneath a tent. In fact, it was a beautiful scene and one that I couldn't imagine any other way. At the same time, our peace was still fragile, and I didn't want to put her out.

She must have seen the indecision on my face, because a knowing look swept over hers, and she smiled slyly at me. "And just think, when you are ready to leave, Ryan can just stay here with us while you are on your honeymoon. He won't have to go anywhere, and he'll be somewhere he feels comfortable."

_Dammit! She already knows my weakness!_ I thought as I felt the last bit of my resistance fall away. "If you're sure you don't mind," I hedged, trying in vain to hold onto the last shreds of . . . whatever.

Esme grinned, and there was a maniacal gleam in her eyes. "Of course I don't mind. I love throwing parties, and I don't get to do it nearly often enough now that we moved here. You just let me know when you want to get married, and I'll make it happen."

It was like having another Alice in my life, only this one was already another parent to my son. The day took on an even more surreal quality, and I slumped against the couch cushions, needing something—anything—to ground me.

Edward caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. "All right, buddy, it's time for bed," Edward announced as soon as Ryan lost another life.

"Aw, man, I don't wanna. It's not bed time," Ryan whined.

It was bed time, though. It was already well after ten.

"Ryan," Edward said in a warning tone.

Carlisle sat back and watched Edward get parental for the first time. He didn't seem put out, but it seemed like he was interested to see how Edward handled it.

Ryan huffed and threw his controller in the floor, and then crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

Edward stood to his full height and looked every inch the Army officer that he was. "Pick it up now, and put it away properly," he said in a deadly calm voice.

The room got so quiet you could hear every squeak of Ryan's seat.

From my vantage point slightly behind, I couldn't see all of Ryan's face, but I did see one of his eyes get really large as he stared at his dad. I didn't know if he just wasn't expecting Edward to take on discipline in the Cullens' house or if Edward's tone was scaring him, but whatever the cause, he nodded and leaned over to pick up the controller he'd thrown in his tantrum. Quickly, the game was shut off and the controller properly stored.

"Tell everyone good night, and go get ready for bed," Edward ordered. I had to hand it to him . . . He hadn't relaxed his stance at all.

Ryan, for his part, met each of us in turn and hugged us good night, his previous attitude completely absent. He trudged up the stairs, obviously not happy about having to go to bed, but no longer actively protesting.

As soon as he was completely out of sight, Edward collapsed on the couch. "Dear God," he breathed out, running his hand over his face.

Carlisle let out what sounded like a snort, and his shoulders shook with his repressed laughter. Once he got himself under control, he patted Edward on the shoulder. "You did well. He was testing you, and I think you passed." Carlisle rose from his seat and followed Ryan upstairs, where we heard him fuss a second later about Ryan still not being dressed.

"Carlisle's right, you know," Esme said quietly. "He's testing his boundaries with the four of us, trying to figure out what we'll put up with from him."

I nodded, having expected this at some point, but not so soon. "I'm sure he's picked up on the tension over the last couple of months and didn't think any of us would want to discipline him and look like the bad guy in front of the others. Have you been having more trouble with him when we aren't here?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all—the opposite, in fact. He's always a good kid, but this week, he's done everything he can to be helpful."

"We need to get that therapy started, and soon. When he's up with us, I can have him talk to one of my partners, if that's okay with you, since it'll only be for a few weeks for the summer," I said.

"Will they talk be able to talk to his therapist here?" Esme asked.

"Yes, of course. If you're still considering the practice we talked about, my partner, Zafrina, knows them well," I told her.

"Elise Martin recommended Jacob Black, one of her new guys. He's still getting his PhD, but she thought he might relate better to a man. I don't know if you know him. Jacob is younger than you, but he grew up around here, down near LaPush." She seemed comfortable with this guy, and that was important. I'd probably call him and check in, as well, but I'd trust her judgment.

"There are Blacks down in LaPush, but the only one I ever knew was Rachel," Edward interjected. "She used to come down and surf with us at the beach when we were younger. The last I heard, she went to college at University of Hawaii and married some professional surfer."

I vaguely remembered the girl. She was one of the native Quileutes—exotically beautiful and graceful with her long limbs and shiny hair. There were flashes in my memory of a little boy trailing after her on occasion and playing in the surf while she rode the waves.

"When does he start going?" I asked. With him due to come to Seattle at the end of week, it didn't leave much time for him to get acquainted with this Jacob guy.

"Wednesday morning," Carlisle said, coming back into the room. "Bella, he suggested that if you wanted Ryan to talk to someone in Seattle while he's there, to let him know when the appointment times are and he can conference in so that when Ryan's here and then when he's back in school, he'll have continuity of care."

It wasn't actually a bad idea, but Zafrina or Kate wouldn't have the same benefit for when he was here, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. "Let me talk to Zafrina and make sure that is okay with her."

He nodded in understanding, and then held his hand out for Esme. "Come on, Mae, let's let these people go to bed and spend some time together. I'm sure they'll want to celebrate on their own for a little while." He winked at us and smiled kindly.

Esme giggled. "Good night," she said, joining her husband at the foot of the stairs.

After all pleasantries were exchanged, Carlisle and Esme retired to their room, and Edward and I retired to ours. As soon as the door closed behind us, Edward wrapped me in his warm embrace. His lips trailed kisses up and down my neck.

I moaned quietly. His body was lean and hard behind me. Add that to seeing him truly behave as a parent tonight, and it all made me so incredibly hot.

"I want . . . my fiancée," he whispered into my ear.

I was sure that I made some sort of needy sound, but I had no idea what it was. I was completely lost in the haze of him and us.

Edward's hands skimmed up my sides, pressing lightly against those spots that he knew needed some extra attention. My nipples were so hard by the time he reached them, they were straining against the fabric of my bra and the thin cotton of my top. His large hands cupped my breasts while he breathed on and nipped at my neck. In short, he was quickly turning me into a pile of goo.

Without fanfare, we divested each other of our clothing. I paid special homage to his muscled chest once it was bared to me, and he did the same to me. Though we were well acquainted with each other's bodies, we took our time exploring. When we finally came together, it was slow and soft, and so full of our love for each other, I wondered how I didn't explode from the sheer emotion of it.

My life had completely turned upside down from the moment I'd gone for a run during our reunion weekend. Laying here in my fiance's arms with my son sleeping upstairs, my last thought before I fell asleep was that I wouldn't change a thing.

**I'll be posting a picture of the ring on my profile sometime in the next 24 hours or so and I will also put it on the forum. Let me know what you think, as usual! **

**Recs this week:**

**Glory by bandmum—I don't normally rec one shots but you just can't miss this one. I don't think I've ever been so moved by a o/s in all the years I've been reading. It's simply beautiful and very well written. **

**Unrequited by Perry Maxwell—Edward leaves Bella, only for her to get a call from his sister, Alice, 10 months later, asking her to come to her dying ex-husband's bedside. I read it all today. I just couldn't put it down. It's still a WIP, but she seems to update regularly. **


	28. Chapter 28

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Yeah. She owns that. I own this. **

**A/N: I believe exploding ovaries should be credited to Jadalulu, but I could be wrong. Thanks to whomever for creating the term. Thank you to all of you that read my silly, little words and tell me how much you love them. You have no idea how much they keep me going. JenRar, you are too fantastic for words. **

**Dear God. I am so freakin' tired and it's only day two. I'm back to working two jobs in addition to being the Mom shuttle. It's tax season, so my CPA husband is MIA. It's dark when I leave the house and it's dark when I get home. I swear that people were not meant to be up and about at 5:30 in the morning. Anyway . . . now you know why I'm having a hard time finding the spare moment to write. I still have several chapters in the back log, so we've got some time, but if I'm slow, you know why. I love you all and I promise that I won't ever abandon this, unless I'm dead, of course. If that happens, JenRar can post the rest of what she has for me. :)**

**Chapter 28**

Ryan woke us early the next morning by jumping in the middle of our bed, which happened to be right on top of us. That wake-up call made me even more thankful that I'd thought it necessary to put on pajamas. Edward wasn't so pleased as Ryan's knee came dangerously close to his groin, but other than a deep moan and a strained voice, he tried hard to keep his personal pain from our son.

Breakfast was a hasty affair, as there was plenty to do to get ready for the barbeque that would be starting just after lunch. Carlisle and Edward dragged the long tables they'd used for Ryan's party back out, while Ryan kept watch on the television and issued weather reports frequently. According to the weather man, the day would be clear and warm.

Esme and I whipped up all of the dishes that needed to be prepared and sent Ryan back and forth from the kitchen to the serving table. Over the course of the morning, he set up all of the plates, napkins, centerpieces, cups, and flatware. I was sure there were delays caused by the two men milling around outside, but he was happy enough.

Around one, the guests began arriving. Many of them worked at the hospital with Carlisle and were all people we knew from when we'd lived here. Ryan took off with his friends when they arrived; on occasion, we would hear their shouts from the tree line. It felt a little awkward, knowing that many of these people were gossiping about us behind our backs, but that was small town life.

"Oh, good, they came," Carlisle said, unusually happy about the most recent arrivals. "I know it's a haul for you, but if you ever need a good mechanic, I found the best one a few weeks ago. The shop is in Port Angeles, but I was warned not to take my car to Dowling's."

"What happened to your car?" Edward asked. He sounded only marginally interested in the answer.

Carlisle shook his head. "It ended up just needing a tune-up and some brakes, but I thought I was going to need a new engine."

"And you invited them to your cook-out?" Edward asked, disbelieving.

Carlisle shrugged and looked a little sheepish. "Esme loves doing this stuff, and we don't know anybody. I figured that would be the best way to do it. And they're good people."

The driver's head poked out of the door, and Edward started laughing. "Good people, all right. Just don't get into a competition of any sort with him!"

The driver turned toward us, and I joined in the laughter. Emmett just looked confused. The three of us walked over to the car as Carlisle called out his greetings.

"So, they invited you, too, did they?" Rosalie said with a smirk as she got out of the passenger's seat. She immediately walked over to me and gave me a warm hug. "It seems that they'll invite anyone!"

For a moment, Carlisle almost looked offended, and then took in our proximity. "I take it you know each other?"

Edward nodded. "We went to school together. Emmett was my best friend growing up."

"Oh, good. You'll know someone here, then," he said off-handedly. "I'm glad you're here, Emmett and Rosalie. Welcome to our home. Eat, drink—there's plenty." He gave them both a genuine smile and sauntered back up to the house.

"I didn't realize you all were getting along well enough to be invited to backyard barbeques. Word around town is that you are in the middle of a nasty custody battle," Emmett murmured to Edward, just loud enough for me to hear.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Oh, how I've missed Fork's gossip machine. It's not like that at all. We had our custody hearing last week. The judge restored our parental rights and awarded us joint custody of Ryan. We're 'co-parenting,' as Bella calls it."

"They didn't give you full custody?" Rosalie asked, indignant on our behalf.

"Because Ryan is ten, they took into account what he wanted and what would be best for him at this point. He wanted to stay here in Forks for now," I answered. I couldn't say that I was happy with it, but I was content. My son was happy, and that was all I could ask for.

"Wait, when did this happen?" Rosalie gasped. She grabbed my left hand and inspected my new engagement ring closely.

The two guys got some stuff out of the car and left us to our "womanly gab." I told Rose all about Edward's proposal the night before. She oohed and aahed in all the right places and asked me what our plans for the actual wedding were. To say that she was surprised that we wanted to have it in Forks—not to mention the reception here at the Cullens'—would have been an understatement, but she was supportive. Slowly, we walked toward the rest of the party while we talked. Edward and Emmett already had their own plates fixed and were sitting around a smaller table talking with some other men I didn't recognize.

We fixed our own plates, and before we could find our own seats, Esme motioned for us to come join the little circle of women she was talking to. I recognized one of them as Mrs. Cope from the hospital.

"Bella, this is Shelley Cope—she's one of the nurses at the hospital—and this is Kimberly Marks and Susan Spears. Their sons, Michael and Trent, are running around here with Ryan somewhere," Esme introduced.

"It's nice to meet you. Are you married to Austin?" I asked Kimberly. There were only two Marks boys when I lived here, and Austin was the older of the two.

She nodded and smiled. "Yes. We met our freshman year of college and had Michael two years later. Did you know my husband when you were younger?" She cast her eyes over to the table Edward and Emmett were sitting at, and I realized why one of the men had seemed so familiar.

"I knew him by sight," I answered. "Edward probably knew him better than I did, as he'd already graduated when I moved here. I knew Lee a little better."

Lee Marks was a year younger than we were. To say I knew him was a slight exaggeration. He'd spent a lot of time getting into trouble with his motorbike, and Dad had complained about him constantly. I remembered Rosalie next to me and introduced her, as well. She remembered Austin better, as well as Susan's husband, Chris, and regaled them with stories of what the boys had done when they were younger. It wasn't long before all of the tension I'd felt when we walked up melted away and all of us were in stitches.

I didn't notice when Edward and Emmett disappeared into the house, and I probably wouldn't have noticed when they returned either, but they were working so hard to be stealthy that my senses were instantly alerted. Both men had something bright stashed behind their backs. They looked quickly from side to side; Edward's head was cocked, listening intently to something I couldn't hear. He jerked his head and flattened himself against the wall, pulling out a large water gun from behind his back.

Edward was in full battle mode. I'd never seen it before, but there was no mistaking the look in his eye. And judging by his expression and his movements, our son was his target.

The two grown boys slipped around the edge of the house, and within seconds, the screams of soaked children reached us. Ryan, Michael, and Trent came tearing through the yard. Their shirts were dotted with streams of water, and their hair was drenched. As a unit, they ran into the house, despite Esme's rather vocal protests. All of the adults had turned to find the source of the commotion, and they found it in Emmett's, Edward's, and Carlisle's laughing faces. Carlisle also had a water gun, but I guessed that he'd gone out the back door to ambush the kids from the other side. They strode around the corner of the house, high-fiving each other and laughing. None of them saw Ryan creep around the edge of the porch with his own water gun. I certainly wasn't inclined to warn them.

Ryan's gun was huge, and there was enough water in it to drench the three men. Their faces were frozen in perfect expressions of shock for several moments, before Emmett recovered and lunged at Ryan. Ryan didn't wait for Emmett to connect, taking off through the yard and laughing uproariously. Edward and Carlisle followed after the pair with what sounded like war cries. Austin had gotten up from the table at some point and had one of the hoses ready to spray.

When Trent and Michael reappeared with their own water guns, the rest of us decided to get out of the way, and Esme loudly warned the rowdy boys that they needed to keep their water fight on the other side of the house. A loud chorus of "yes, ma'ams" echoed through the yard, along with laughter and squeals.

By the time the sun began to set, all of the men had gotten in on the action, and they were all soaked. Luckily, it was a warm day, and the heat dried out the worst of it. Carlisle had Edward help him set off some fireworks, while Ryan sat with his friends next to Esme and me. All in all, it was the perfect end to the perfect day.

The next morning, Edward and I rose early to head back to Seattle. Carlisle was in the kitchen, preparing for what he said was going to be a long day in the hospital. We wished him luck and left a note for Ryan and Esme before leaving. They had gotten to bed late, and we didn't want to disturb them. Neither of us had to work, but there was plenty of painting, decorating, and packing to be done if we were going to be ready for Ryan to join us for his first two week visit.

"Why don't we start on my place?" Edward suggested as we drove into town. "I've not lived here as long as you have, so it should be easier."

He wasn't kidding. Most of his things, other than those he used on a semi-regular basis, were still boxed up. With his laundry in need of being washed, we packed up all of his clean clothes, his extra linens, and virtually everything in the kitchen. While I prepared some soup and sandwiches for a quick dinner, Edward carefully packed away all of his movies in order, so they would be easier to reshelve at the new house. We ate on the couch, talking lightly about where we were going to put everything and what still needed to be done at the new house. We didn't know much, as we hadn't been over there—per Alice's orders—but she was keeping me up to date with progress reports. By the time we went back to my apartment to go to bed, Edward's was completely packed up and ready to move.

It took all of Tuesday and half of Wednesday to sort through all of the things in my apartment and begin to load them up. Alice finally gave us permission to take things over to the house on Wednesday night. She was nervous as we opened the door, wringing her hands and promising us that if we didn't like anything, it could be changed so easily.

She needn't have worried. The house was gorgeous and just about perfect. Every detail made it feel homey and not overdone, but added to the effect of a home well-decorated. Jasper agreed to come over the following night and move our bed so that we could finally spend our first night in our new home.

In all the hustle and bustle surrounding the new house, I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Alice. She'd been out when I first called her from Forks, and one of us had been busy every other time we'd talked. But when she shrieked at me and grabbed my hand, making me drop the box of utensils I was carrying, I realized that I'd forgotten to tell her about Edward's proposal.

"Isabella Marie Swan! What is this?" she cried.

Edward took one look at my face and escaped from the room as fast as he could.

"I tried to call you on Sunday to tell you," I hedged. "But then I forgot."

"You forgot you got engaged?" she asked flatly.

"No! I forgot to tell you! We've been so busy moving that I didn't think about it," I said in an attempt to defend myself.

She didn't buy it and gave me a dirty look. Then, she made me recount the story of his proposal and spent several minutes ogling my ring. The excitement I'd felt a few days before leaked into my voice, and we were like two school girls gossiping over the new cute boy.

"I did want to ask you something, though," I said slyly. Alice was my best friend in the entire world, other than Edward, and I couldn't think of anyone in the world that I'd rather have next to me that day.

Alice looked at me hopefully, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Will you stand up with me and be my maid of honor?" I asked.

She shrieked again and jumped at me, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me tight. "Of course! Yes, yes, yes! Thank you!"

"You'll have to walk with Jasper. I hope you don't mind," Edward commented. I hadn't realized he'd come back into the room. He was leaning against the door frame and smiling at the two of us.

"Oh, yeah, that'll be such a hardship," Alice said sarcastically. She couldn't keep the smile off her face. "What are the plans? When are you doing this?"

That was the part I couldn't tell her yet. I wanted to do it over the summer, but I didn't think there would be enough time to get it planned. That, and I was pretty sure Edward was going to have his week of training sometime in August and that would take out a huge chunk of time.

"We haven't set a date yet. I'd like to do it before the end of the year, though. Esme wants us to have the reception at her house."

"You're getting married in Forks?" Alice asked in surprise.

I shrugged and blushed. "I always wanted Angela's dad to marry us."

Alice gave me a smile, remembering, I was sure, our discussions from so many years before. "It'll be as beautiful as you always envisioned, Bella. I'll make sure of it."

I gave her another hug, and we called it a night. "See you guys tomorrow night. I'm going over to Jasper's to help him finish packing. Can we borrow you after we move the beds, since you won't be here Friday?" Alice asked.

I'd all but forgotten that Jasper was moving, too.

"Sure," Edward answered as he locked the door. "Depending on what we have on the board tomorrow, we might be able to get the beds moved during the day."

Alice hugged me again and congratulated us both, before getting in the car and driving away.

Edward laughed as soon as he closed the door. "I guess you're forgiven for forgetting to tell her now."

I laughed. "Good thing, too."

His expression turned serious. "I talked to Jasper today—not just about that. I'm going to take the night shifts next week while Ryan is here. Will you guys be okay at night without me?"

"We'll miss you, but yeah, we'll be fine. Isn't your Reserve weekend next weekend, too?" I was thinking about what Ryan and I could do together. We hadn't had a lot of one on one time yet.

He nodded, though somewhat miserably. "I hate that I have to miss our weekend with him."

"Yes, but at least he'll get to see how important your service is to you. He looks up to you, and this is one more thing that you can do to show him why he should," I answered.

"Do you really think he does?" Edward asked in a rare show of doubt.

I scoffed. "Have you not noticed? You've become his new idol!"

I thought that would please him, and maybe it did, but Edward's brow furrowed, and he didn't say another word for the rest of the drive; he was lost in his own thoughts. His disquiet continued as we got ready for bed, and it didn't lift until we were safely ensconced under the covers of my bed.

"I'm not sure I want him to idolize the soldier in me," Edward said into the dark. "I've always been proud of my service to my country, but I don't want my son to see and do the same things I have."

In a gesture of comfort, I ran my hand down the arm that was wrapped around my waist. "For now, it's enough for him to be proud of you. When he gets older, you can share your experiences with him so that he doesn't join up with misconceptions of glory."

"Glory . . ." Edward whispered absently, pulling me closer to his warm body.

The word seemed to strike some chord within him, and I felt, rather than heard, his uneven breathing. I tried to turn to comfort him, but he held me even tighter. Being there for him however he needed me while he let his pain out was the best thing I could do, so I lifted my arm and scratched his scalp until his breathing evened out and he fell asleep. Edward rarely talked about his time in the service; because of that, I didn't know what he'd gone through. My own imaginings ran through my head as I slept, making it an uneasy night for both of us.

The daily grind resumed the next morning, and it was unpleasant, to say the least. The only good thing to happen once the alarm went off for Edward was that there was hot coffee in the pot. I was used to him getting up to run before me, and usually, I went back to sleep. I couldn't, though, despite how tired I was. Instead, I got up to shower and slipped on a towel that we had put down the night before to cover a spill. With a bruised butt, I managed to shower and get dressed, but nothing I had left in the apartment was comfortable, and I was reduced to wearing a skirt and hose.

Edward jumped in the shower as I prepared to leave, since all of the stuff at his apartment was gone, and I couldn't get my car to start. Someone, namely Edward, had left one of the interior lights on the night before, and my battery was dead. My calendar indicated that I had an early appointment, so I had to go get Edward out of the shower to jump my car. He wasn't overly thrilled.

By nine-thirty, I was wishing I'd gone back to bed. My autistic patient hadn't had his appointment Monday because of the holiday weekend, and the change in his schedule had thrown him into a tailspin. He'd been doing so much better before, but now, he'd reverted back. I promised to see him at his usual time on Monday, after spending an hour calming him back down.

My next patient cried for the entire session. By that point, I wanted to join her.

Edward sent me a text after lunch to let me know that all of our remaining clothes and furniture had been moved by the three guys and that I was responsible for bringing pizza to the apartment that evening, because they were going to start moving Jasper's stuff around three. He also told me that one of my jackets had fallen on one of the painter's drop cloths.

"Kate!" I yelled in frustration. I knew she didn't have a patient at the moment, and I needed some therapy—preferably of the margarita kind.

"That's not a happy sound," she said, coming to stand in my doorway and suppressing her mirth.

"This day sucks, and I wanna go home and hide." I was pouting, and I knew it.

Kate laughed and strode to my couch, flopping down on it in a most unladylike manner. "Didn't you just move? Can you go home and hide?" She was smiling, and I wanted to hit her.

"No," I answered petulantly. "Apparently, there are painters at the house, too, and they just ruined my blue jacket."

Kate gasped as fakely as possible. "You mean the suede one that Alice gave you because no one would buy it? The one you hate?"

When she put it that way . . . "Okay, you may have a point," I conceded. "I'm just having a crappy day."

"Could it have anything to do with your nerves about this weekend?" Kate asked astutely.

I wanted to deny it, shoot her down and tell her that she had no clue what she was talking about, but I couldn't do that in good conscience. She was right. I was terrified that these two weeks wouldn't go well and that Ryan wouldn't want to come back.

"You know that he's going to love it, even if for no other reason than this is his first time away from home, right?" she said kindly.

"That's reassuring," I said sarcastically.

She glared at me. "It's not hard, Bella. He's a kid. Your kid. He loves you and is probably as excited about this as you are. Don't sweat it. It's new for both of you, and really, it probably won't go perfectly. All you and Edward can do is love him and do your best."

I let her words sink in and reassure me. "Thank you, Kate."

"Anytime, sweetheart." She stood and left the room and me to my thoughts.

From that point on, my day got incrementally better. I picked up the pizza on the way back to what used to be my apartment and greeted a giddy Alice in the kitchen. At my questioning look, her eyes lit up and she wiggled her eyebrows.

"It's really hot, and Jasper's furniture is heavy. They lost their shirts about thirty minutes ago." She was practically vibrating.

On their next pass through to what had been my room, my day got a thousand times better. There was no part of me that would ever stray from Edward—and he looked mighty fine with the sweat glistening off of him—but putting him and Jasper together was a recipe for making ovaries explode.

"You should have burned this fucking couch," Edward grunted as they set the aforementioned couch down in the living room. "It's fucking heavy."

I turned and raised my eyebrows at Alice. I really thought she would have convinced Jasper to get rid of it. She rolled her eyes and held up a package containing a slip cover. "I made him have it cleaned earlier this week."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boys head back out while I set out the boxes of pizza. Moments later, they returned with arm loads of boxes and dropped them into the floor.

"That's the last of it," Edward announced with a smirk when he saw me gawking.

Jasper stretched; it was all for show, though. He was watching Alice intently, just as Edward was watching me.

"There's food," I blurted out in an effort to keep my internal organs from combusting.

Edward and Jasper both laughed, but they did save my future children by putting on some shirts. They ate most of a pizza each and left the third for me and Alice to share. We laughed a lot, but I could tell that Alice and Jasper were anticipating the alone time. As soon as we finished eating, I shooed Edward out the door, and he followed me home—back to our home, for our first night there and our last night alone for the next two weeks.

**I hope you enjoyed! Leave me some love and make this week better. **

**Recs: **

**Sentimental Journey by btwnthestacks. Go now. Not only do you get a historical Edward and Bella, but you get a modern one too. It's fantastic. Oh, and grab some tissues. **


	29. Chapter 29

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Plagiarism is taking something that you didn't write and claiming that you did. It's also called stealing. I did not write Twilight. If I had, there would have been more sex, and I wouldn't be working two jobs right now. I also wouldn't be about to strangle my husband, because I'd be able to afford a nanny and a maid. Don't take this and claim it as your own. There's no joy in false praise because you will always know that you didn't really do it. Guilt's a bitch, folks. **

**A/N: Okay, that was my PSA for the day. Here's another: if you see or hear of someone committing plagiarism, fight it. Report them. No one deserves to have their hard work stolen. **

**Thank you to JenRar for your fabulous beta skills. I promise I'll get you another chapter one day. Thanks to each and every one of you that read and double thanks to those that reviewed. Reading them really brightened my days when I've thought I was losing my mind. **

**Chapter 29**

Esme called early Friday morning and asked if we would mind if they brought Ryan to us that night. They wanted to see the new house and get a feel for where Ryan would be spending the next two weeks. It chafed me a little as I considered that it sounded like they didn't trust us to provide a suitable home for our son, but when I stepped back, I realized that it really was a valid request. Ryan had never spent a great deal of time away from Esme and Carlisle, and if it was anyone other than us, I would be thankful that she was being so diligent. Regardless, that also meant that we didn't have to make the drive to Forks that evening and could possibly start looking for things with which to decorate Ryan's room.

By four o'clock, I was a nervous wreck. Thankfully, my last patient had already left and all I had to do before I could go home was finish dictating my case notes. I was planning to make lasagna for dinner, and our guests would be arriving a little after six, if Esme's text when they left was at all telling. Kate saw me running around throwing files back in their drawers, laughed at me, and told me to go home, that she would finish up for me. I couldn't have asked for a better friend and partner.

"Are you home yet?" I asked into the phone as soon as Edward picked up.

"_Good afternoon to you, too,"_ he laughed back. _"No, I'm not home yet. I stopped at the grocery store to get some garlic bread and lettuce for a salad."_

"Oh my God, I love you," I breathed out. I hadn't even thought about those things. I knew we had the rest of the salad already in the fridge, but we'd had to throw out the lettuce when we moved.

"_I know, I'm the greatest,"_ he teased. _"Are you on your way?"_

"Yeah, I should have enough time to at least get it in the oven before they get there. Esme said that their GPS indicated they would get in around six."

"_Plenty of time,"_ he soothed.

"I know. I'm just . . ." I trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say.

"_I know, baby. Here, let me check out, and I'll see you in a couple of minutes." _

I could hear the beeping of the register as he signed off, leaving me once more with the silence of my car and my own loud thoughts.

Our house wasn't too far from work, so I before I knew it, I was pulling into the driveway. I hastily grabbed my briefcase and ran into the house from the garage. Soon, the noodles were boiling, the sauce was simmering, and the various cheeses were set out on the counter. Edward brought in the lettuce and started making the salad without me asking.

We chatted idly about our days for a few minutes, and then he gently laid the knife he was using on the cutting board. In one swift movement, he grasped my hips and pulled me toward him. He kissed me fiercely, as if his life depended on it. I could feel every ounce of his own anxiety and love.

"Shit. I've been wanting to do that all day," he admitted breathlessly when he finally released me. His eyes looked a little wild.

"Glad you did," I quipped, trying to quell the need building inside me. There was no way we'd have the opportunity to fix that tonight, so I figured that I might as well quash it now.

A quick glance to the side told me that the noodles were done. I drained them and then began the process of layering the noodles, sauce, and cheese while Edward stood behind me with his arms around my waist. As soon as I stuck it in the oven and set the timer, Edward and I went back to the bedroom so I could change. Rooting around in the boxes of clothes that we hadn't bothered to put away yet took longer than I'd anticipated, and when I heard the doorbell ring, I was still in jeans and a bra.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I cried, looking around frantically for the shirt I wanted to wear.

"It's fine. Find your shirt, and put it on. I'll go let them in," Edward soothed, but his expression was far from calm.

"No, I'll just put on this one." I grabbed a random peasant blouse and pulled it over my head as we walked out the door. Edward took my hand in his, and together, we walked to our new front door and let the Cullens in.

Ryan was carrying his duffle bag and a pillow while practically bouncing on the doorstep. Esme and Carlisle stood behind him, looking rather nervous.

"Hey!" I greeted, plastering a smile on my face to hide my nerves. Ryan ran into my arms and gave both Edward and me a hug.

"Can I go put my stuff in my room?" he asked excitedly.

I winced, and his face fell. "Well, at least for tonight, you're going to have to sleep in the guest room. It's the one across from yours," I answered.

Edward grinned at him. "You haven't been here to decorate yours, so there's nothing in there. Where did you think you were going to sleep?"

Those were the magic words. As if a light bulb had gone off, Ryan lit up and practically ran upstairs to verify that he had a fresh slate to work with.

"Please, come on in," I greeted Esme and Carlisle, who were still standing on the stoop.

Esme and I embraced, and we led them on a quick tour of the downstairs. They both seemed impressed by the house and the speed in which we'd gotten everything together.

I was getting ready to lead them upstairs when the timer went off. "Why don't you . . ." I started to tell Edward to finish the tour, which Ryan had joined, but Esme cut me off.

"Why don't we save the upstairs for later, once Ryan has finished his room?" she suggested.

I smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you. If you want to head into the kitchen, dinner is ready."

"We don't mean to impose," Esme deflected and slanted her body as if she was planning to leave.

I rolled my eyes. "I made dinner for you. Come eat with us, and you can leave after dinner. No need to eat Wendy's," I teased. We'd talked on one of our trips to Forks about Wendy's always being our standard stop on the way because it was the easiest to get in and out of.

She grinned at me. "Thank you, Bella. That's very kind of you."

I led them back to the dining room and then slipped into the kitchen to get the salad and bread. Edward was already pulling the lasagna out of the oven. We quickly cut it into pieces, and he carried it to the table while I brought in the rest of the meal.

Unlike our first meal together, there were no awkward pauses or tense glances between us. We had grown comfortable enough with each other to interact like the family we were becoming. It didn't hurt that Ryan prattled almost the entire meal. Esme and I both had to remind him several times not to talk with his mouth full.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Esme and Carlisle slowly rose. "We should get going and leave you to your fun," she said, her voice trembling slightly. I knew she would cry on the way home like I usually did.

We followed them to the front door, but stepped back a bit to give them time and space to say their goodbyes to Ryan. Despite his excitement over his two weeks from home, I could tell that he was going to miss them. He hugged both of them tightly and nodded solemnly when Carlisle whispered something into his ear.

"You have your phone, right?" Carlisle double-checked after releasing him. Ryan nodded. "Good. Call us whenever you want to. It doesn't matter where we are—unless I'm in surgery, of course—you take precedence. Have fun and don't get into trouble."

"Yes, sir," Ryan whispered. He was having a little anxiety about the upcoming separation as well.

It was hard for me to remember sometimes that this was the longest they'd ever been apart, having spent years bouncing back and forth between my own parents. It didn't matter that they all knew that he would be loved and safe here with us. They would still miss each other, and that was what mattered right now.

Edward stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, giving him some silent support. Esme and Carlisle waved goodbye once more, and then they stepped out into the late evening air, closing the door behind them.

"Are you okay?" I asked Ryan gently, grasping his hands with mine.

"Yeah," he said sadly. "I'm just going to miss them."

"It's okay to miss them," I told him, and his eyes shot to mine, shocked, I supposed, that I'd given the permission for him to love someone else.

"It is," I insisted, leading him over to the couch and sitting us all down. "Ryan, we know that they have raised you and that you love them. We don't intend to take that away from you. If you need to call them to hear a familiar voice, then call them. If you want to talk, we're here."

He nodded, looking thoughtful. "Do we have plans tonight?"

And . . . the feelings talk was over. Boys.

"Well . . . there is that little matter of you not having any furniture," Edward hinted. "And I happen to know that the furniture store is open until nine."

"We can go now and get my bed?" He was thrilled with this idea.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It wouldn't be delivered for a few days, but we can go pick it out."

Ryan jumped up from the couch and headed for the front door. Edward just laughed and took my hand as we followed him out.

Edward's usual sales girl wasn't there, which suited me fine. I didn't want to have to deflect her around our ten-year-old son, and I was sure that she wouldn't care. Instead, an older gentleman was there. He eagerly showed Ryan every child and adult bed they had, but it didn't seem to be about making a sale for him. He seemed to truly enjoy Ryan's enthusiasm. I could relate.

"Ryan, make sure you pick a bed that you're going to be happy with for a few years. We aren't going to replace it anytime soon," Edward warned.

I stared at my fiancé in shock. I couldn't believe him. As if sensing my ire, Edward turned toward me and offered me a sad smile.

"He's ten, Bella," he said quietly so that we couldn't be overheard. "Those bunk beds he's looking at are cool now, but is that really what he's going to want when he hits high school? I don't mind buying him a new bed when the time comes, but God only knows how much use it's going to get between now and then. Besides, I know you're short, but it's not going to be too long before he outgrows it." Edward gestured to his own height.

He had grown some since we parted, but he'd been tall the entire time I'd known him. And the Edward I knew in high school _wouldn't_ fit in that bunk bed.

"You have a point," I conceded.

"On the other hand," he allowed, "if we have more children, we can pass it down and get him a new one."

I stood beside him, just gaping. Sure, we'd talked about having more children, but he'd put a lot more thought into it than I'd suspected. Ryan was the one that broke my train of thought.

"Dad, please," he begged. "I really like this one." The bed he was standing next to had a full bed on the bottom with the separate twin on the top and stair-stepped drawers coming down the side, eliminating the need for a dresser. The full bed was big enough to accommodate him as he grew.

"The top bunk is removable and can stand alone as its own bed," the salesman informed us.

Well, fuck. That did it. How was I supposed to say no to a bed that solved world peace? "Is there a desk to go with it?" I asked, resigned.

Ryan cheered and looked thrilled. That look was almost worth the price tag on the bed, which made me want to choke. I knew that we'd planned for this when we bought the house, but the idea of spending that much money on a piece of furniture galled me.

"It's like three pieces in one," Edward whispered, clearly recognizing the look on my face. "See, if he got two of those beds over there and the matching dresser, it's more expensive than this one piece."

His math was correct, but it didn't dull the ache at the thought of how much we were really spending. This must have been why Edward didn't show me the final ticket the last time we'd been here. After living so frugally for so many years, including those in my childhood, it was a hard habit to break.

I knew this was what had to happen, though, so I merely closed my eyes and nodded. Edward sighed, but left me alone.

"I don't think we need the desk today," Edward said politely. "Come on, Ry, let's get this taken care of. We have a couple more stops to make."

Edward finished up in the store, as he had last time, and then led Ryan and me out to the car. He didn't take the familiar way home. Instead, we pulled up outside of Target. Edward turned to look at Ryan in the backseat.

"We're here to get ideas on how you want to decorate your room. If you don't see anything you like, that's fine. We'll go to Lowe's and Home Depot tomorrow," Edward informed him.

"I saw this one thing I liked in Mom's Ralph Lauren catalog," Ryan hinted. "Or they have the _Star Wars_ bedding online."

I was so torn. I wanted our son to have the room he wanted, but _Ralph Lauren?_ The stuff in there cost twice what the same thing would have elsewhere. I was all for quality, but a line had to be drawn somewhere.

Mr. Spends-a-lot beat me to it, though. "Ryan, we're not buying you sheets from the _Ralph Lauren_ catalog. The bed was a splurge, because you need one that will last, but we're not laying out a small fortune for sheets and blankets."

Ryan nodded his acceptance, and I saw the ruse for what it was. He was playing us, trying to see what he could get away with. It wasn't malicious, per se, but he was testing our boundaries. It bothered me, but I recognized that this wasn't unusual behavior in multi-home families. Edward and I were going to have to talk and solidify what those limits were.

Edward smirked at me, seeming to come to the same conclusion, and opened his door. Ryan and I followed suit and got out, too. The trip through the store to their bedroom section was quiet. Ryan had his hands stuffed in his pockets and spent most of the time looking at the floor, as if he'd rather be anywhere than walking through Target with us. For just a moment, I felt bad that we had shut him down so quickly, but then returned to my firm conviction that we were doing what was right, what all good parents did.

"All right, Ry, do you have any ideas on what you want?" Edward asked as we approached the aisle stuffed with kids' themed pillows and comforters. "Other than _Star Wars_?"

Ryan smirked and looked up. "So I can't have that?"

Edward snuck a look at me and whispered, "I didn't say that."

I snorted and rolled my eyes at them, turning toward the items on the shelf. "We're just here to get ideas, Ryan. This is your room, but I don't want to have to redecorate it every couple of years, so I want to find something you like enough to keep awhile."

"Okay," Ryan said, more agreeably than I expected. "Thomas is for babies, though. I like trains, but no. No rockets." He was making his way down the aisle, nixing everything he saw. "No camo—sorry, Dad. Wait, this is kind of cool."

Edward and I walked hand in hand over to the comforter he'd stopped at. It was a Shaun White set with blue and black patchwork on one side and red and gray stripes on the other. Sheets with blue amorphous monsters riding skateboards sat next to it. It certainly wasn't my favorite, but I didn't hate it with a passion.

"We can mark that down as one idea," Edward said, clearly loving it as much as I did.

Ryan shrugged. "I don't see anything else here that I really like. It's mostly for little kids."

I had to agree with him, and we left the store with no more than we'd come in with. When we got home, I powered up my laptop, thankful that Edward had overseen the installation of our internet access earlier that day.

"Do you want to look at some ideas online?" I asked. It was still relatively early to put him to bed on a Friday night.

He crinkled his nose. "Can we play some games, or something?"

Edward laughed and towed him over to the entertainment center where our two—yes, two—video games systems were housed. They argued over games and picked one that Edward said I "didn't totally suck at."

It was Wii Play. Seriously, who can suck at Wii Play? For the next thirty minutes, I shot all the balloons, cans, ducks, and aliens that came my way, plowed down all of the scarecrows, and caught all the fish in the pond. When I handed my controller over to a gaping Edward, I just smirked at him and Ryan.

"See, I did learn a thing or two from Charlie," I quipped as I plopped down on the couch.

"Remind me never to get her a gun," Edward whispered to Ryan just loud enough for me to hear.

Ryan giggled, and then proceeded to school Edward in the exact same games.

By the time we all went to bed, the tension of Ryan's first overnight with us settled in again. We walked him to his room, reminded him where we would be if he needed us, and kissed him goodnight. Later, as Edward and I lay in bed together, we listened for any sound he might make. After hours of hearing nothing, we finally succumbed to the exhaustion and fell asleep.

"Ma. Wake up. Ma, Dad says it's time to get up." A not so little person shoved my shoulders in an attempt to wake me. What he didn't know was that I'd been awake since he'd tiptoed into the room. I flipped over suddenly and pinned him to the bed with a tickle attack.

Ryan laughed and squealed, wriggling on the bed.

"What's going on in here?" Edward asked from the doorway, the expression on his face wicked.

"Oh, nothing. Just some tickle torture," I said nonchalantly, while never stopping my fingers. "You want in?"

Edward grinned, and Ryan shouted as Edward launched himself onto the bed and joined in. Ryan decided to try to fight back, and in seconds, had found Edward's one really ticklish spot. My son grinned at me, and we both turned on Edward, making him laugh and squirm.

"Uncle, uncle!" Edward yelled. "Breakfast is ready, and no one wants to eat cold eggs."

"You cooked?" Ryan gave Edward a skeptical look. I took that to mean that he didn't believe that Edward could and that Carlisle probably couldn't.

"Hey, it's edible," Edward defended with a laugh. "Get up. We've got sh-stuff to do today."

I giggled at his almost slip and climbed out of bed. The boys raced off to the kitchen, and by the time I got there, they were both seated at the table with a plate of slightly burned pancakes between them and scrambled eggs on all three plates.

Edward, it turned out, could actually make a decent breakfast. It wasn't going to put Willie's out of business or anything, but as he'd said, it was edible.

Ryan helped us clean up the kitchen, before running upstairs to get cleaned up for the day. I, of course, was the last one done. Edward had showered before making breakfast and was already dressed. My boys were waiting for me when I came down, and we piled in the car again.

Taking a ten-year-old boy to a home improvement store was a much bigger trial than I had anticipated. He wanted to see everything. The men in the orange vests patiently answered his questions when we could find them, and Edward did his best with the rest.

The paint sample aisle was a test of patience that I wasn't expecting. Ryan wanted to take a sample of every paint color that caught his eye. I kept trying to tell him that some of the colors didn't go together, but he ignored me for the most part.

"They all do this," the guy at the counter whispered to me when it became evident that I was losing my cool. "I don't know what's so fascinating about paint chips, but I have yet to see a kid that didn't want to take a handful home—and those are the ones that aren't actually painting a room."

I laughed, his aside making me feel marginally better. He also took control of the situation, which also helped.

"Hey, little man, whatcha got there?" the guy asked Ryan.

Ryan showed him the dizzying array of colors in his hand.

"Psychedelic," the guy said in his best hippie voice. "Is that what you're going for?"

"No," Ryan said, startled. "I just want my room to look cool."

The guy pulled out a couple of paint schema brochures and handed them over. "Maybe you want to look at these first, then. Less guess work."

Ryan sat down on the floor and paged through the brochures. One of the pictures had a nautical theme, with navy blue, red, and white. One was a jungle theme, and another was a sports mecca. None of them seemed to fit my boy, though.

"Oh, one more," paint guy added. He handed over a slick showing several professional and college sports teams. "If you have a favorite team, you can paint the room in the team's official colors."

Ryan's eyes widened as he paged through it, and he looked up at Edward and me hopefully. "Can I?" he asked tremulously.

"What team would you choose, bud?" Edward asked, squatting down so that he was level with Ryan.

Ryan looked momentarily torn. He glanced down at the color card in his hand and then back up at his dad. "The Mariners?" he asked.

"Is that what you want?" I asked, wanting to clarify that he did want it and wasn't doing it to impress Edward.

Ryan nodded. "They have the best colors of all my teams."

God, I loved kid logic.

"Mariners paint it is, then," I told paint guy.

Edward wandered off to get the rest of the things we needed.

The bill for paint and supplies was outrageous, but it would be fun to do this as a family, and it was certainly cheaper than having to pay to have it done. Ryan immediately donned his "junky clothes" when we got home. Edward and I changed and taped up the woodwork while Ryan chatted about how he wanted it done.

One wall would remain white, and all of the woodwork would be painted gray. He wanted Edward to paint the Mariners' compass logo, but Edward figured that he would botch it and promised to look into a wall sticker instead.

With drop cloths on the floor and tape around the wood work and ceiling, Ryan dipped his brush into the paint can and made the first mark on the wall. Edward and I followed with our rollers while music from Edward's stereo blared through the house.

It was three hours of laughing, dancing, and painting. There was almost as much paint on the drop cloth and each of us as there was on the walls, but there was no question that we'd had fun. Edward sealed up the paint to use the next day for the second coat, and Ryan and I tromped downstairs to order pizza. I couldn't remember a day in which I'd ever had so much fun.

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Have a great week!**

**Recs this week: Unbecoming by BookishQua. Run, don't walk. Go read it. It's worth it. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. I own this. Let's leave it that way. **

**A/N: Thank you. Your reviews and kind words have buoyed me this week. Slowly, but surely, I'm getting accustomed to my new schedule and I hope that I'll be able to write again by this weekend. JenRar is the best beta in the world. Give her some love. **

**Chapter 30**

Sunday was a restful day full of painting, laughter, and games. And though it was the first time we'd ever woken up together and spent the day as a family, it felt right and . . . normal. Part of a weight that had held both Edward and me down was lifted as we finally got to be the parents we'd always wanted to be. I knew that this was only the first step and that it wouldn't be easy, but I found that I looked forward to the challenge.

Monday morning dawned early. Edward went for his run while I got ready for work so that one of us would be home with Ryan at all times. Edward even had my coffee and breakfast ready for me while Ryan slept in. It took all my strength to walk out the door and leave them behind, though.

"Hey, Zafrina, you got a minute?" I asked, poking my head in her door.

She checked her watch. "For you, I have three. What's up?"

"Do you think you can do Ryan's session Friday afternoon? I know you talked to Jacob, his regular therapist, but I don't want to skip too much when we have him." I sat on the couch usually reserved for patients.

"I don't see a problem with that. I'll call Jacob this afternoon and see if we can find a time that will work for both of us. He wants to listen in if he can—if you're all right with that, of course. If not, I'll send him my notes as he's doing for me," she answered. "For the summer at least, we'll be seeing him the same amount, so it only makes sense."

I nodded. "As long as that is okay with you, I'm fine with it."

"Good. I'll let you know as soon as I talk to him, then. How did the weekend go?" she asked with a sly smile.

I couldn't contain my grin. "It was great. He tested a few boundaries, but I kind of expected that. It was so good to have him home. I didn't want to leave this morning."

"I'm so happy for you. You know I'm here if you need to talk."

I nodded and she motioned for the door. Chelsea was there with her coffee and announced the arrival of Zafrina's first patient. When she said three minutes, she'd meant it.

"Thanks, Z," I said, slipping out of the room and into my own office to start my week.

~SD~

I was so thankful to go home at the end of the day, not least because I got to see my boys. I was exhausted. My patients had tried my patience to its very limit.

There was music playing loudly when I came in, but Ryan and Edward were nowhere in sight. I dropped my briefcase by the door and flicked off the stereo. I didn't hear any protests, so I trudged up the stairs to see who I could find.

Ryan and Edward had painted the trim while I'd been gone, and the room looked almost ready to go. They'd even cleaned up after themselves, which impressed me more than I would ever admit. Neither of them was inside, though the window was open to air out the fresh paint smell.

Across the hall, I heard the faint sounds of water running, indicating that Edward was in the shower. I poked my head into the guest room and found a freshly bathed Ryan sitting on his bed with a book.

"Hey, Ma!" he said excitedly. "Did you see it?" His eyes lit up.

"I did," I told him, trying to match his enthusiasm. "You guys did a great job. I didn't know your dad could paint that well."

"He doesn't," Ryan informed me. "He cussed a lot and said it was a good thing we had the drop cloths."

I laughed, some of the tension leaving me. "That sounds about right. What else did you do?"

Ryan shrugged. "Not much. He worked on his computers some, but something wasn't working right, so he gave up. What's for dinner?"

Trust the ten-year-old to think about food. "You and your dad didn't cook?" I asked, somewhat crestfallen.

Ryan shook his head. I knew they'd been busy all day, but we had an unspoken rule that whoever was home first cooked. And I was too tired to do so.

"I don't know, bud. Let me go talk to your dad." I heaved myself off the mattress, mostly to fight my urge to lay down on it and not get up. Ryan picked his book back up and I walked into our bedroom in time to hear the water shut off.

Edward swung the bathroom door open wearing only a towel around his waist. "Oh, hey, I didn't know you were home already."

I let myself fall onto our bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I'm home. How was your day?"

"Ryan and I had a good time painting. The room's done if you want to look at it," he said as he rummaged in his drawers for clothes.

"I saw it." I tried not to let my irritation about dinner pervade our conversation, but dammit, I was hungry. "Anything else?"

Edward shut his drawer with enough force to rattle the dresser. The trinkets and frames we had on top wobbled and a couple fell over. "My VPN connection into the server isn't working right, and I can't access most of our classified files. I'm going to have to go into the office tonight to get it straightened out."

He seemed particularly perturbed about this, though I couldn't see why. I turned my head so I could watch him. "I thought that was the plan this week. You were going to work the night shift so you could be home with Ryan during the day."

He frowned. "We don't have a lot going on this week that's going to require night work. The cell we're tracking is in Argentina. Jasper, Ben, and I worked it out so I could just work from home, but I can't get that to work. I didn't want to spend every night away from you."

"Oh," I said quietly. He'd tried to rearrange things so he could be home with me and Ryan, and I was being a bitch. "Did you want to eat before you left?"

"Fuck!" he yelled. "I forgot to make dinner. Sonofabitch! I'm sorry, baby."

"It's all right," I muttered, letting go of the last of my irritation. It wouldn't do either of us any good and wouldn't put food on the table. "I'll go make something."

"Nah, let's just order in. You look exhausted," he said, sitting down next to me.

"We can't," I whispered. If it was just us—any normal night—we'd grab some take out and eat in the living room. But it wasn't just us anymore.

Edward's shoulders sagged for a moment in understanding, and then a determined look settled onto his face. "Yes, Bella, we can. He can eat pizza or Chinese just like we do. We won't make it a habit, but for tonight, we're ordering in. You change, and I'll handle dinner."

Despite my better judgment, I went with it. I was too tired to argue, and I really didn't feel like cooking. Ten minutes later, clad in sweatpants and a t-shirt, I walked into the kitchen to see Edward tossing a salad and Ryan sipping on a Dr. Pepper at the kitchen table.

"What did we settle on?" I asked, dropping into my own chair.

"Pizza," Ryan said with a grin.

I laughed under my breath, and Edward shrugged unrepentantly. "It'll be easier to eat on the go," he said. "And the guy said he'd have it here in twenty minutes."

The guy did not over-promise. Twenty minutes later, Ryan and I were sitting in the living room with pizza and bowls of salad, watching some cartoon about brothers that create a roller coaster that goes all over town. It disappeared before they could get into trouble, though. As far as modern cartoons went, I thought it was pretty good. Ryan laughed a lot, though he kept up a running commentary on what was going to happen next.

Edward had grabbed three pieces and left almost as soon as the food was delivered. He told me he'd call and let me know what his plans were, but I didn't expect to see him before morning. For the first time, I was alone with my son, and I had no idea what to do with him.

"Do you want to play a game?" I asked tentatively.

Ryan shrugged. "Sure. What games do you have?"

I went over to the hall closet and scanned the boxes of games on the shelf. It was already after seven, so I didn't want to choose something long. "What about Uno?" I called over my shoulder.

Unbeknownst to me, Ryan had followed me to the closet. I jumped when he spoke from directly at my back. "I like Uno. Oh, and you have Jenga! Can we play that, too?"

I laughed. "Sure, buddy."

I reached up into the closet and pulled both games down. We walked together back to the table, and I started shuffling the Uno cards while Ryan built the Jenga tower. It was quiet for awhile as I dealt our hands and we placed the cards on the stack.

Ryan broke it by asking for something I never expected to have to tell my son. "Will you tell me about when you found out you were pregnant?"

I almost choked on the drink I'd just taken. "Um, sure," I answered when I'd composed myself. "I was terrified." I laughed. "Your dad and I were planning to go away to college together. We had our whole lives planned out, and a baby didn't fit with that. That, and I had to tell my dad."

Ryan laughed. "I bet Grandpa Charlie was really mad."

"He was." I nodded with a grin. "But he asked us what we wanted to do and told us that he would support our decision. We went to the doctor and heard your heartbeat. After that, there was no way we were letting you go. Edward and I changed our plans from going to school on the East Coast to attending the University of Washington, so we could be near our families. We got ready to have you. I will never forget when I got to have an ultrasound and we saw you for the first time." Tears filled my eyes as I remembered.

"Uno," I said, interrupting my tale.

Ryan played again, and I went out.

"Aw, man!" he cried. "Rematch."

This time, Ryan shuffled and dealt while I told him about how much we'd loved him even then and how we'd named him Ryan.

"What was my middle name going to be?" he asked.

"Anthony, like your dad," I told him. "Parker's good, too, though."

"They love me, you know," he said. "Mom and Dad have been really good parents."

I gave him a sad smile. "I know. And I know that you love them, too. That's okay, Ry."

He waited a minute before he played again. "Did it make you mad that I told the judge that I wanted to still live with them?" he asked meekly.

"No, Ryan, it didn't make me mad. I wish that you could live with us all the time; I wish that you'd never been taken from us in the first place, but I know that wouldn't be fair to you right now. There have been a lot of changes in your life in a really short time. We can wait while you get to know us."

He let that absorb for a few minutes while he crushed me in our second hand of the night. "Can we play Jenga now?" he asked as I counted up the seventy three points in my hand.

I agreed and let Ryan pull the first piece. In the end, he knocked it down three times to my one. We put the games away together, and he got ready for bed. I didn't figure that he had to be up early for any reason, but I wasn't about to let him get used to staying up all night at our house.

"Do you mind if I call them before I go to bed?" he asked as I tucked him in.

"Nope. Tell them I said hello," I answered. "Light on or off?"

He thought for a second. "Off. That way I don't have to get out of bed."

I flicked it off. "Night, Ry."

"Night, Ma. I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered, my throat thick with tears.

~SD~

Our routine continued this way through Wednesday. Edward was a little surlier than usual where work was concerned. Something had gone wrong with the internet installation, and he had to have them back out to take off some type of speed choker and anti-hacking device. He wasn't getting much sleep, either, because he had to be awake with Ryan during the day and he was up all night for work.

My phone rang mid-morning on Thursday. _"Ma, can I _please_ come and hang out at your office this afternoon?"_ Ryan whispered into the phone.

"Ryan, what's wrong?" I asked, instantly alarmed.

"_Nothing? I just . . . Dad's really tired and he's doing everything he can to stay awake, including turning the air down as low as it will go and blasting rock music through the house. He won't go to sleep if I'm here,"_ Ryan told me. _"Please."_

I checked my calendar and saw that my next patient wasn't for at least thirty minutes. I grabbed my purse and my keys and jumped up. "Yeah, sure. Grab a book or something to do, though. I'll be there in a few."

"Chelsea," I said, stopping at her desk on my way out, "tell Andrew Hipman that I'll be right back if he gets here before I do. I have to go pick up my son."

Her eyes widened, and she nodded rapidly. I didn't wait for a response.

Fortunately, we lived close to the office. As Ryan had said, the house was freezing and espresso filled the coffee pot, the pungent scent wafting through the house. Ryan and Edward were racing against each other in some video game, and they seemed to be having fun. I wondered where Edward had been when Ryan called me.

When the race ended, Ryan jumped up and grabbed a book bag he'd left near the end of the couch. Edward looked strung out.

"Hey, baby," he said, confused. "What are you doing home?"

I shrugged, trying to play it off until we could talk later. "Just came to get Ryan. He's going to hang with me the rest of the afternoon."

Edward raised his eyebrow, but at a swift look from me, refrained from commenting. I stepped over to him and kissed him lightly. "Get some sleep, sweetheart. You've got to play soldier this weekend, and you can't do that if you've only had a few hours of sleep. I love you; I've got this."

He started to protest, but then yawned. "Thank you," he whispered against my lips just before he kissed me goodbye.

"And turn up the air," I hollered as I walked back out to the car.

Ryan giggled beside me. "Thanks for coming to get me. We were having fun, but I know he's so tired. I tried to tell him to take a nap, but he wouldn't do it," Ryan informed me.

"It's fine, Ry. I'm sorry things didn't run smoother this week for you." It was killing me that we were having trouble providing stable, day-to-day care for our son.

"It's cool. I'd be at the community center if I was at home, and this is so much more fun. Hey, did you ever sign me up for that camp you found? The one at the zoo?" Ryan asked.

I smiled. "I did. You'll go the next time you're here."

That seemed to please him, and he chattered for a little while longer. When we got to the office, I set him up in the breakroom with some snacks and his bag of goodies, and I returned to my office in time to call in Andrew, who was more than understanding, only five minutes late.

Ryan was extremely patient and only wandered from the breakroom once. Luckily, I was just making case notes and he was just checking in. Kate, Zafrina, and Chelsea all visited with him, and they seemed as enraptured by my son as I was by the end of the day.

"I know he's got good genes, Bella, but that boy has been raised well," Zafrina whispered. "I deal with kids all the time, and they are never that kind and polite."

"He's a pretty great kid," I agreed, glad that he was so worthy of praise and a little dismayed that I hadn't had anything to do with it.

She gave me a sad smile, as if she knew what I was thinking. "He'll still be here tomorrow afternoon, right? Jacob and I scheduled him for three-thirty."

I nodded. "I'll make sure Edward drops him off by then. They usually have to leave around four for their weekend exercises, so it should work out perfectly.

"Thanks for doing this," I told her as I gathered up my stuff for the night.

"It'll be my pleasure, especially with a kid like him," she told me.

Ryan met us at the door, and she ruffled his hair on the way past. He gave her a put-on "hey," but he was grinning ear to ear.

On the way home, Ryan and I decided to make tacos for dinner. They, apparently, were one of Ryan's favorite meals, and I always thought they were fun to eat.

The house was silent when we walked in and substantially warmer than it had been. I left Ryan in the living room while I climbed the stairs and peeked into the master bedroom. Edward was curled up under the blankets, the perfect picture of peaceful repose. He looked so much younger like this, without the weight of the past dragging on him.

I carefully closed the door, deciding to let him sleep for a little while longer, at least while we cooked dinner.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Ryan had gotten the ground beef out of the freezer and was holding the head of lettuce when I walked in. I pointed to the cutting board that was still out on the counter and then ran the sink full of hot water to thaw the meat. While the meat transitioned from a block of ice, I got out the tomatoes and the cheese. While I cut up the vegetables, I showed Ryan how to grate the cheese, and we worked side by side, chatting about the book he was reading.

"Ryan, can you get the tortillas out of the drawer in the fridge?" I requested as I browned and seasoned the meat.

He got them out and laid the package on the counter. I told him how to wrap them and put them in the microwave to heat. He struggled a bit with the wet paper towel, but was pleased with himself when he got them out and they were warm and flexible.

Edward still hadn't come down, and dinner was ready. I checked my watch; he'd been asleep for six hours or so. "Go get your dad up, please," I told Ryan.

He got a mischievous look on his face and ran for the stairs. Moments later, I heard Edward shout and Ryan laugh. It was a magical sound.

We ate our tacos, and Ryan told Edward about his afternoon at my office. He said he couldn't wait to go back.

"You'll get your chance tomorrow," I told him and then turned to Edward. "Zafrina scheduled his appointment for three-thirty. Can you drop him off before then?"

"Sure. That's good timing, since we have to leave at four," Edward agreed.

Ryan looked back and forth between us with his brows creased. "What appointment?"

I wanted to be aggravated that neither Esme nor Jacob had mentioned this to him, but I was his mother and should have done so as well. "When you're up here, you'll get time to talk to Zafrina. Mr. Black will be on the phone with you, too."

"My therapist?" he asked.

"Yep. Since you're here for two weeks at a time, we wanted you have someone to talk to," I answered, keeping my tone as casual as I could.

"Aw, man. Do I have to?" Ryan whined.

"Yes," Edward and I answered together.

Ryan wrinkled his nose, but didn't complain. Instead, he returned to eating his third taco.

After we all finished, Edward cleaned up the kitchen since we had cooked. Ryan set up the game system again so we could play Mario Kart. He seemed to need some play time with his dad, knowing that Edward would be gone for several days. Edward humored him and did his best to lose a few games.

At bedtime, Ryan once again called Carlisle and Esme after telling us good night. They didn't talk long, and he fell asleep soon after, his soft snores filtering into the hallway.

"You guys going to be okay without me this weekend?" Edward asked quietly, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

I leaned back against him and nodded softly. "I think so. It'll be nice to spend some time together, just me and Ryan. Besides, we're going to have to get used to doing this."

"I'll tell you what I'm not used to," he whispered huskily into my ear. "I'm not used to having to hold back. I don't think I can wait anymore."

I grinned, knowing exactly what he meant. "What did you have in mind?"

"Think you can be quiet?"

"No, but I'll try," I said, a slight laugh in my voice.

Edward pushed me toward the bed, turning and locking our bedroom door behind him.

"Strip," he ordered.

Just the tone of his voice did _bad_ things to me. I shivered in anticipation and slowly unbuttoned my shirt. Once the last button was free, I slid the shirt down my arms and tossed it across the room. I reached behind me and unzipped my skirt, letting it fall to the floor and pool at my feet. Edward's gaze grew more and more heated, ratcheting up my own desire.

When I reached up to unhook my bra, Edward held up his hand. "Stop. Let me."

He stalked toward me and stopped only inches from my body. Without touching my skin, he unclasped it, and then he placed his large palms on my shoulders and slowly slid them down my arms, taking the bra with them. Jolts of desire coursed through me, and I arched toward him without conscious thought.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered huskily just before he bent down and captured my lips with his.

We hadn't been together this way in what felt like so long. Between getting the house ready to move into and Ryan's presence in the house, this side of our relationship had fallen by the wayside. Needless to say, I was more than ready to resurrect it.

"You're wearing too many clothes," I murmured against his lips.

My hands finally got the messages from my brain and began fumbling with his belt buckle. Edward let me work on his pants while his hands never stopped roaming around my body.

Once I got his belt undone, the button fly on his jeans was easy. One pull, and all the buttons sprang free. I couldn't even wait to get the jeans down, though, and reached into his boxers where he was hard, waiting for me. As I wrapped my hand around his erection, Edward's hands stilled for the first time and he let out a low moan.

"Does that feel good?" I whispered.

His head fell back onto his shoulders. "You have no idea." He seemed to remember that my breasts were still cradled in his hands, and he rubbed his thumbs over my nipples.

"I might have some clue," I groaned. I sank back onto the bed while Edward wrestled with the rest of his clothes. It didn't take him long to join me.

We didn't hesitate from that point. We could have taken it slow and savored each other's touch, but we both seemed to feel the same sense of urgency. For the first time ever, we were making love with a child down the hall, and he was old enough to understand what was going on if he decided to get out of bed. I also wasn't in the mood for waiting. It had been long enough, and I wanted him. Immediately.

Edward ran his fingers over my clit, making sure that I was ready for him. There wasn't much doubt. He groaned when he felt how wet I was, and then, he knelt between my legs and pulled my hips toward him, thrusting into me in one sure stroke.

I had to remind myself not to moan loudly like a wanton whore. He was hitting me in just the right spot inside and massaging my clit with his hand. I tweaked my nipples, eliciting a grunt of pleasure from Edward. His eyes, which had been vacillating between where we were joined and my face, stuck firmly on my hands playing with my chest. His pace picked up and threw me over the proverbial cliff without warning.

This time, I couldn't stop the sound coming out of my mouth. Edward immediately leaned forward and kissed me hard, muffling my moans with his mouth. His pace became more erratic while he was leaning forward, and in a few rapid thrusts, he groaned and stilled, his own ecstasy washing over him.

Edward's arms gave out, and he collapsed on top of me. I loved feeling the weight of him on top of me like this. Somehow, it always made me feel closer to him afterwards.

"I love you, Bella," he mumbled into the pillow.

I laughed. "I love you, too. Now move. We have to put pajamas on just in case."

He grumbled a bit, but followed me into the bathroom where we finished getting ready for bed. "How did you know to come home earlier?" he asked while brushing his teeth.

"Ryan called me. He said that you wouldn't take a nap with him here and that you were really tired," I answered.

"Oh, hell." Edward looked crestfallen. "I was trying not to let him know how tired I really was. Guess I didn't do such a good job."

"It's okay. He was fine at the office. We are going to have to figure something else out for next week, though. You can't keep going like this with just a few hours of sleep a night," I scolded lightly.

He turned to face me. "Bella, I probably would have been fine if I'd _gotten_ a few hours of sleep a night. Until this afternoon, I hadn't slept since Monday night. At all. But you're right, this isn't going to work long term. Everything should be fixed now so that I can work more from home when Ryan's here."

I closed my eyes and shook my head, knowing that nothing I said would change the fact that he hadn't gotten any sleep. "Edward, honey, you can't do that anymore," I told him as we climbed back into bed. "It's not just you now. We have a child to worry about. What would Ryan and I do if we lost you when you hit a tree because you were too tired? What if Ryan was in the car with you?" I'd heard about too many accidents over the years caused by drivers that were overly tired and weren't able to get out of the way or course correct fast enough. It was one of the hazards of being the Police Chief's daughter.

"I know, baby. I know," he said, somewhat exasperated. "We'll figure it out."

Somewhat mollified, I curled into his arms, savoring the hard planes of his chest against my back. Knowing that this feeling would have to last me for two more days, I fought sleep until the exhaustion pulled me under.

**Leave me some love. I need it. Send some thoughts to Cyrabear's family. I was told that she passed away today and that means that her family and the fandom has lost a wonderful person. **


	31. Chapter 31

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: SM owns her stuff. I own mine. I also own a tank of gas that cost me $78 today. It's a shame it won't last a week. **

**A/N: I have the best readers in the world. Seriously. You all have been so supportive. Of course, I haven't gotten behind yet, but I know that you'll be as wonderful then, too. Thank you, JenRar. I'd like to say that you beta'd ultra fast this week, but that would require me having gotten you something. That said, you still did fantastic on this one. **

**Chapter 31**

Friday was a clusterfuck. I woke up late, having stayed up far too long the night before, and ended up leaving without my briefcase. Luckily, I noticed before I got down the block and wasn't too far away to go back and get it. Consequently, I was late for my first patient of the day.

I tried to make up the time by working through lunch, but that only made me cranky and hungry; I had to stop after my first afternoon patient and grab a sandwich, which I had to swallow almost whole to have time to eat.

By the time Edward and Ryan showed up, I was about to pull my hair out. We got Ryan settled in Zafrina's office and closed the door behind us. I practically fell into Edward's arms, using his strength to hold me up, mentally and physically, while I could.

"I'm only going to be gone until Sunday," he teased.

"I know," I said, my words muffled by his shirt, "but this has been the crappiest day, and now you're leaving."

Edward rubbed my back with his arms still encasing me, making me feel safe and loved like only he could. "Call me when this is over and let me know how it went?" he asked, and I knew he was talking about Ryan's session with Zafrina.

I nodded. "I'll leave you a message after we get home."

"Thanks." He leaned down and kissed me, letting me feel his love for me even as he said the words.

Once again, I did my duty and watched him walk away from me in his camo, ready to go train for another weekend. I had no idea how I'd ever be able to watch him walk away to go to war, and I silently prayed that I would never have to.

It was fortunate that I had an emergency session during Ryan's meeting with Zafrina. Focusing on the problems of the thirteen-year-old girl in front of me kept my mind off of the problems of the ten-year-old in the other room. Melanie had been dealing with bullying at school for more than five years, and it had started to escalate after her parents got involved and demanded punishment for the other girls involved. Now, instead of simply tormenting her at school, the girls had launched a cyber campaign against her.

Melanie was more fortunate than many girls in her situation, in that she had a core group of friends that stood by her against the "mean girls." They didn't care enough about being unpopular to desert their friend when she needed them the most. However, the constant put-downs and whispers had done a number on Melanie's psyche, and her self-esteem had bottomed out. This week had been particularly bad, and Melanie needed to work on some affirmations to keep her from exploding or breaking down completely.

By the time we were finished for the day, Ryan and Zafrina were done and laughing with her door open. I saw Melanie out and ducked my head in to Zafrina's office.

"Hey, how'd it go?" I asked casually. I was determined not to pump either one of them for information. This was a place where Ryan needed to be able to feel safe, and I wasn't going to give him any reason not to spill his guts if he needed to.

"Good. Zafrina's really funny," Ryan told me with a smirk. "She made fun of Jacob, too."

Zafrina's dark skin colored slightly in embarrassment. "He's still in that stage where he wants to make sure we know he's read his textbook," she told me.

I giggled. When I first started with Zafrina and Kate, they'd sat in on a couple of sessions with me. Afterward, they'd told me that I had to stop talking textbook to my patients, because only the people that wrote them understood what they meant.

"It sounds like it went well, then," I said, stifling the almost over-whelming urge to pry.

Zafrina smirked at her. "Yes. Thursday next week—same time."

"See you next week, Zafrina," Ryan said, standing and grabbing his bag off the floor.

I only had a little paperwork to finish up, so I told Ryan to have a seat while I completed that which I couldn't take with me. He pulled out his book and read while I finished up with my case files.

My phone rang, alerting me to the fact that it was getting late. It was Alice.

"_Are we having pizza at your place tonight since Ryan is there?" _she asked in lieu of saying hello.

I hadn't even considered the idea that my friends would still want to get together this weekend. "Ryan, are you okay with pizza for dinner? Alice and my friend, Angela, want to come over and eat with us."

He shrugged, his eyes never leaving his book. "Sounds good to me."

I turned my attention back to the phone. "Yes, Alice, that'll be fine. What time are you going to be there?"

"_At six-thirty, so you have to leave the office now,"_ she ordered. _"It's almost six already."_

"How did you know I was still at the office?" I laughed.

"_We've met,"_ she answered, laughing. _"See you in a few!"_

I hung up the phone and sighed in contentment. Our new life was really shaping up, and all the pieces were fitting together. In some ways, it felt like the calm before the storm, but I was determined to enjoy every minute of it that I could.

"You ready to go?" I asked Ryan, standing up and shoving the rest of my work into my bag. I was sure that I'd either find some time to work on it over the weekend or that it wouldn't rot in my bag before Monday.

Ryan jumped up off the couch and shouldered his backpack with ease. He followed me out and waited patiently while I locked my office door and called goodbye to Kate, who was still working at her desk.

There were two cars in the driveway when we pulled up that I recognized as belonging to Alice and Angela. I had forgotten that Alice still had a key, and I figured that she'd made herself at home already. Ryan went upstairs to call Carlisle and Esme while I scoped out my two friends in the kitchen.

"Hello there, missy," Alice said, her humor clear in her voice. She handed me a frothy green drink.

"I can't drink this," I hissed. "I've got a kid in the house." She pushed my hand back toward me when I tried to hand it back.

"You can, and you will," Angela insisted. "It's non-alcoholic. We aren't having any tequila, either, chica. It's a show of solidarity, if you will. It's just for the illusion of the fun."

"You guys are the best," I whispered, my throat thick. "Thank you. I didn't actually expect to see you tonight, but I'm so glad you're here."

Alice grinned proudly. "We brought movies, too. Kid-friendly ones." She dug around in a cloth tote on the counter. "We have _Goonies, The Princess Bride, Star Trek_—the new one—and a couple of Disney flicks. I thought we'd let Ryan choose."

There was nothing I could say, so I just grabbed both of them and hugged them.

Much to my surprise, Ryan chose _Goonies _first. It was a little "old school" for his tastes, but he thought it was funny. After all, there were no video games, cell phones, or iPads in it. When that one ended, he put in _Star Trek, _and I made popcorn. It didn't take long for pieces to fly across the room and hit someone in the head.

Angela and Alice got along famously with Ryan, treating him more like a little brother than my kid, which I thought was probably for the best. He seemed to like the attention, at least. With no one at home for either of them, they decided that they were crashing at my house and begged for Ryan to be allowed to stay up and watch _Pinocchio_ with us. I caved, but made everyone change into pajamas first.

That was how I found myself waking up, sprawled across the couch with Ryan's head on my lap and my two best friends on the floor on Saturday morning.

My phone was ringing in my purse somewhere in the kitchen. I'd dropped it in there after retrieving Edward's message that they had arrived safe and sound. I slid a pillow underneath Ryan's head and ran for it.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly, hoping that I got to it before it rolled to voicemail.

"_Bella, this is Tanya. I'm sorry to call you so early, but Edward hasn't answered my calls, and I need to talk to you."_

"He's in Reserve training this weekend—he probably doesn't have his phone on. What's wrong?" I asked.

"_Well, that solves one problem. _60Minutes_ wants to send their crew out next week, and I was afraid it would be on Edward's Reserve weekend. Can you be available in Forks next Friday?" _she asked.

Crap. No. I had a full day of patients scheduled, and there was no way I could rearrange them all. "We were going down there after work to take Ryan home. Can we do the interview on Saturday morning?" I would also have to check with Esme and Carlisle to see if that worked for them.

"_I think so. I'll call the producer back and double check. Can I just text you the confirmation later?"_ I could hear her typing away on her laptop on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks, Tanya."

"_You're welcome."_

We hung up with little fanfare, but now that I was awake and had this interview on the brain, there was no way that I was going back to sleep anytime soon. I glanced around the kitchen and started pulling out pots and pans. If I was going to be awake, then I was going to make breakfast.

Thirty minutes later, I had biscuits, gravy, eggs, sausage, and fruit sitting on the table. Angela, Alice, and Ryan had all wandered in over the course of my labors and taken seats. While we ate, I told them about Tanya's phone call.

"I'm really going to be on TV?" Ryan asked, barely masking his thrill.

"You're really going to be on TV," I confirmed with a laugh.

"That's cool," he said, glancing at Angela out of the corner of his eye and trying to look unaffected.

I rolled my eyes and threw a biscuit at him.

After breakfast, the girls departed, leaving Ryan and me alone for the remainder of the weekend. Since his furniture was due to be delivered on Monday, I thought it would be a good time to go and get some bedding for him.

Ryan had an idea of what he wanted, and we spent almost the entire day walking around downtown Seattle looking for it. Finally, in a mom and pop shop off an alleyway near the stadium, he found it. It was a quilt made from Mariners' t-shirts over the years. The colors were the same as the ones we'd painted his room, and he was over the moon about it.

"This is incredible," I said to the woman manning the shop. "Where did you find this?"

She laughed lightly. "I made it. My son was a huge Mariners fanwhen he was younger and collected the t-shirts. He grew up, though, and moved to Florida. Now, he's a Tampa Bay fan. So I took all of his shirts and made a quilt."

"Can I have it, Ma?" Ryan asked. His little green puppy dog eyes stared at me.

I flipped over the small price tag in the corner and almost keeled over. We hadn't paid this much for his bed. The lady must have seen the look on my face, because she chuckled gently.

"Are you a big Mariners' fan?" she asked Ryan.

"Yeah, my Grandpa Charlie got me tickets to a game for my birthday. It was awesome," he told her.

She cast a sly glance at me and motioned for the older gentleman to come over. "This is my husband, Ron. He caught one of Ichiro's fly balls when he was still here. Would you like to see it?"

That was a stupid question. Ryan practically flew across the room after Ron, asking excitedly about the experience of catching a fly ball.

"I don't mean to pry, but you look familiar. Is that the little boy that was stolen from his parents at birth?" She said it low enough that only I would hear her.

My hackles instantly rose. "Excuse me?"

She backpedaled instantly, knowing that she'd stepped on a landmine. "I'm sorry. I know that it's none of my business. I just feel for you—for both families, really. I know there isn't anything we can do to make the situation better, but I'd love to help in any way I can."

I gave her a small smile. "Thank you. It's been . . . tough, to say the least. He's adjusting as well as can be expected, but it's a lot for a kid to take in," I said.

"Ma!" Ryan shouted from across the room. "Look at this! Isn't it awesome?"

"It is awesome," I answered. The grin that popped out whenever he called me Ma stuck on my face, and I sighed.

"Here," the woman said, folding up the quilt and handing it over. "If nothing else, this'll make his room at your house extra special."

I held out my hand to stop her. "Oh no, I can't," I said. What I meant was that there was no way I was spending five hundred dollars on a quilt, no matter how lovingly it was made.

"You can. A gift from one mother to another," she said. "It would do this old heart some good to see another little boy get joy from these old shirts." She ripped a receipt out of the book on the counter and wrote _Enjoy the Quilt—$0. _

I felt awkward taking something so expensive just because of Gerandy's crime and the media circus around it, but the shopkeeper wouldn't be deterred. In the end, I thanked her profusely and had Ryan do the same. He, of course, was thrilled. It seemed to make her happy, too, to do something small for us.

With his quilt in hand, we returned to Target to buy some navy blue sheets that matched. We also picked up a couple of bed pillows that he liked. I had a feeling that he'd have his bed made before we finished setting it up.

That night, Ryan helped me make pork chops, stuffing, and peas for dinner. We talked about how I usually spent the weekends that Edward was away. Ryan wanted to make him a special dinner the next night, so I agreed and made plans to go to Pike's Place Market the next day.

Angela, however, threw a slight wrench in my plans.

I hadn't grown up especially religious. Dad was more comfortable out on the river on Sunday mornings, and Mom flitted from one church to another and then to a temple like they were new outfits. The only time that I'd spent any significant time in church was when I went with Angela in Forks.

So, when Angela called and asked us to go to church with her the next morning, I was a little stunned. I wasn't sure what Ryan's religious upbringing had been.

"_Bella, they have a great youth group full of kids around Ryan's age. He'll love it. Even if neither of you do, you've just spent a couple of hours on a Sunday morning meeting new people. Please,"_ she begged.

"All right," I agreed. "But you have to go shopping with us after church."

"_Deal. I'll pick you up at nine."_

We went to bed early so that we could actually get up in time to go. I was surprised that Ryan was up and dressed before I had even showered. I wasn't aware that he'd brought khaki pants with him, but he stood in my kitchen, dressed up and ready to go, eating a bagel out of the drawer.

Angela was right on time. Ryan piled into the backseat, bouncing slightly in excitement.

"Have you ever been to a church like this?" Angela asked as we pulled up out front. It was big and there were a lot of people—families—walking in the front door.

"I used to go with my friend, John, in LA. It was fun," he answered, taking in the sights around him. When we got inside, Angela showed him where the youth group sat and introduced him to some of the other kids his age. We left him there, chatting away, while we went to find our own seats.

Pastor Michael seemed to be a good and caring man. His sermon was a little long-winded for my tastes, but the message was good. Everyone near us was friendly and greeted Angela happily; obviously, she'd found a new church home. They welcomed me with open arms and expressed their desire that I would join them again soon.

"What did you think?" I asked Ryan when I finally found him.

"I liked it. The kids were really nice," he answered.

Angela suppressed a smirk. "The youth group meets on Wednesday nights if you want to come again."

Part of me wanted to protest, though I really wasn't sure why. This, however, was a way for Ryan to make friends here. Since he didn't have school, I considered that a church youth group would be a good way to make him feel more at home.

"Can I come, Ma?" he asked eagerly.

I nodded and smiled. "Sure, bud."

Ryan waved goodbye to the kids he'd met, and we loaded back into Angela's car. True to her word, she walked through Pike's Place Market with us, getting everything we would need for our dinner that night. Ryan insisted on helping me choose and then prepare the meal when we got home. Before she left, Angela promised that she would call with the youth group details and even offered to take Ryan if I needed her to.

"What time will Dad be home?" Ryan asked for the fifteenth time since we'd gotten home two hours before.

I checked the clock. "Not for another hour usually. We have plenty of time," I assured him.

"Can I play Mario Kart for a little while?" he asked.

I told him to go ahead and dragged my briefcase into the living room so that I could get the rest of my work done while he drove the little car around.

He'd gone through about half of the available boards when I heard the key in the front door.

Ryan heard it, too. "Dad!" he screamed, throwing the controller onto the couch and dashing for the front door.

"Hey, buddy," Edward laughed as he wrapped Ryan in a huge hug. "Did you have fun with your Mom this weekend?"

"I did. We got a quilt for my room made from old Mariners' shirts, and I got to see one of Ichiro's fly balls. And today, we went to church, and I met a bunch of kids my age." He was talking a mile a minute, barely taking a breath.

Edward raised one eyebrow at me, and I mouthed that I would explain later. "Hey, Ry, why don't we let your dad come in the door and go get changed?" I called. Edward was still in his fatigues, and I suspected that he probably needed a shower.

Ryan let go and walked into the kitchen. "You should hurry," he told Edward. "Ma and I almost have dinner ready."

I laughed and walked over to kiss Edward hello.

He greeted me enthusiastically. "Missed you," he whispered with a smile. "I can't tell you how great it feels to be coming home to our house and our family."

His words warmed my heart, and his smile promised more to come, but he broke away and made his way to our room with his duffel bag.

In the kitchen, Ryan had put the salad together and gotten out the sides we'd started preparing. As I'd already cut the potatoes, I put them on to boil and headed out back to light up the grill. The steaks were marinated already and would only need about ten minutes to cook, so I got everything else warming while Ryan set the table.

By the time Edward came downstairs, the table was laden with steaks, new potatoes in butter herb sauce, and steamed broccoli with cheese sauce, as well as a tossed salad and rolls.

"This looks great, guys," Edward said. "Thank you. So, Ryan, tell me about . . . church?" Edward sounded uncertain.

"Ma and I went to church with Miss Angela this morning. They had this big group of kids that all sat together. They're getting together on Wednesday, and Ma said I could go," he reported.

"That sounds like fun," Edward said, clearly at a loss.

At Ryan's urging, Edward told us all about his training weekend and reported that his week of training would be in late August. Ryan should already back in school by then, but there was no way that we were going to be able to get married around then.

We sat around the table talking long after our meal was finished. Little by little, I cleaned up the dishes while joining in the discussion. Edward and I listened patiently while Ryan told him about his friends at home and what he wanted to do when he grew up. Of course, most ten-year-old boys had dreams of being a professional athlete, so I wasn't too concerned at his lack of educational focus. His desire to be an astronaut did surprise me, though. It wasn't for the glory of going into space, like I expected. He wanted to study the stars and learn how and why the universe worked as it did.

Edward suggested a trip to the planetarium one night while he was here, and I made myself a mental note to find out what their hours and programs were.

Once we got up from the table, Edward grabbed his laptop and sat next to us on the couch. Ryan flipped on the National Geographic Channel, which was running some special on hurricanes. Edward checked through the weekend log that Ben had left for him while Ryan and I learned about severe weather patterns. It was a normal night with a family, and I couldn't have been happier.

Around nine, Ryan yawned and said good night. I knew that he was making his nightly phone call, and I wondered if those calls would come to us once he went back to Forks. I could only hope they did.

As soon as he was upstairs, Edward turned his head slightly to look at me. "Youth group at church?"

I shrugged. "I didn't think you'd care. Angela wanted us to go with her, and I thought it would be a good way for him to make friends up here, since he won't have a sports team or school."

Edward nodded slightly, thoughtfully. "As long as he enjoyed it, I don't care. I just wish we didn't have to split his time like we are. It's going to be hard for him, especially once school starts."

"I know," I answered, cuddling up underneath his arm. "It's going to be difficult on him no matter what—on all of us, really. I have to wonder, though, if Forks isn't a better place for him right now."

"How can you ask that?" Edward asked me incredulously.

"Because even though the gossip-mongers run wild, essentially, everyone takes care of everyone else. The people in Forks are less likely to make a big deal out of the situation than people here, especially once we appear on TV, because they know all the people involved and we won't just be the latest, greatest news story. Ryan and I walked all over downtown, looking for something he was happy with today for his bedroom. There was this little sports memorabilia shop near the stadium, and they had a quilt made from old Mariners' t-shirts. Ryan, of course, loved it. I didn't like the price tag." I winced at the memory of the $750 figure written on the little tag.

"Isn't that what you got him?" Edward interrupted.

"Yeah, only because the lady recognized him and gave it to us. I didn't want to take it, but she didn't leave me any choice. My point is, this time, it was someone kind, wanting to do something for our little boy, but what if next time, it's not? I just wonder if maybe he won't be safer from that kind of thing in Forks?" I posited.

"She gave it to you?" he asked, shocked.

"And wouldn't take no for an answer. I didn't want to make a scene with Ryan right there, so I took it; I didn't know what else to do. I'm afraid it's only going to get worse once we do the _60 Minutes_ interview."

"That's next weekend, right?" At my sideways glance, he expounded. "I got Tanya's messages, but I didn't have time to call her back. I barely had time to talk to you. Maybe it will die down in six months, before we go to the judge again. If not, we'll make it work until living with us is the right thing for him. At least we know he's loved and well cared for where he is."

I leaned my head onto his shoulder and hummed in agreement. What was certain was that our fight was far from over.

**Leave me some love. Hope you enjoyed it. **

**Rec: Don't Go Gently into The Night by JA Mash. I haven't had time for my updates, but I'm reading this. **


	32. Chapter 32

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Does anyone read these? Really? SM owns Twilight. No one owns the actual names Edward and Bella, though. Otherwise, millions of people would be in trouble. **

**A/N: For those that have asked, the new job is great. It doesn't leave me a lot of downtime, though. I'm tired. Like, really effing tired. But, hey, I'm gainfully employed. Thank you to everyone that took the time to read this week and to those that took the time to review. I appreciate you all. Thank you, Jen, for your excellent beta work. Mwah!**

**On with the show!**

**Chapter 32**

The following week moved swiftly. On Monday, while I was at work, Ryan's bedroom furniture was delivered. Edward and Ryan had everything set up and the bed made with clean sheets by the time I arrived home, as well as having dinner ready for the three of us. I suspected that Edward hadn't gotten much work done, which was confirmed when he stayed up late on the computer.

Carlisle and Esme were more than willing to do the interview at their home on Saturday and asked us to come down on Friday night to go over everything. Tanya was going to fly in and meet us there, though she was staying at the Lodge instead of the Cullens' home like we were.

Zafrina would not give me any specifics as to what she, Ryan, and Jacob discussed in their sessions, but she did tell me that he was dealing with the situation as best as could be expected. She did express some concern over how the four adults were getting along and wanted to make sure we knew to keep all disagreements as far from Ryan as could.

Friday afternoon found us sitting in traffic on our way to Forks. A tractor-trailer had overturned on the highway and had been tying up traffic for the last two hours. So far, we'd been sitting in it for about thirty minutes, but that was twenty minutes too long for Edward. He was already edgy, and the constant stop and go, without ever reaching a speed of ten miles per hour, was wearing on him. I also had to admit that Ryan wasn't helping. He was bored and had therefore taken to reading all the street signs he could find. Once he'd exhausted those, he'd started pointing out all of the things he could see in the neighboring cars.

"Ryan, will you please stop?" Edward asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm bored," Ryan whined in return. "How long is it going to take to get there?"

Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering. I tried to stifle my giggles. "Read a book. Play with your DS. Do something. I don't know how long it's going to take. I thought they'd have the truck moved by now."

Ryan huffed, but dug around in his backpack and retrieved his DS. It didn't take long for him to be totally engaged in the battle he was waging on screen. The only sounds in the car were the beeps from Ryan's game and Edward's sighs of frustration. I fiddled with the radio, but quickly gave up when I discovered that the repetitive traffic reports and crappy music ratcheted up Edward's aggravation.

We slowly moved forward, inch by inch, until we hit the accident site. The left hand lane was the only one open, and there was a police officer directing traffic. From the looks of things and what we'd heard on the news reports, a semi had swerved to miss a car that was stalled in the middle of the road and had jack knifed, hitting the back of the car with the trailer and throwing it forward into three other cars. The trailer had tipped onto its side in the resulting chaos, hitting a few other cars in the process. I could see why the traffic jam had been so bad.

Fortunately, the road was completely clear on the other side, and we were able to make a lot of progress. We stopped at our favorite Wendy's and all ate in the car. As much as he seemed to enjoy the two weeks with us, Edward and I both could tell that Ryan was anxious to get home. It made me a little sad until he practically blew by Esme and Carlisle, with no more than cursory hugs. What he really wanted to do was call Michael and Trent.

Esme laughed lightly. "Oh, the days when parents were important," she pretended to lament.

I followed her into the kitchen, where she had some tea steeping and some scones cooling on the stove. I heard Carlisle and Edward talking and walking toward the den.

We each took a cup of tea and settled down at the kitchen table. Esme asked how the trip had gone from my perspective and told me in no uncertain terms that Ryan told them how great of a time he was having. "He's also very comfortable with Zafrina," she said. "I think she and Jacob make a good team."

"As long as he's comfortable talking to them and working out whatever issues he's experiencing, I'm happy," I said. "I have a feeling that things are going to ramp up for him for awhile, between the trial and this interview tomorrow."

"Yes, this interview tomorrow . . . Tanya's going to come in and let us know what questions to prepare for?" Esme asked, a hint of nerves peeking through.

"She was supposed to be here tonight. Her flight got in about an hour after we'd planned to leave, and she's flying back tomorrow. There was a horrible accident, though, and I suspect that has delayed her," I reported.

She nodded, and her eyes drifted to the ceiling near where Ryan's room lay a floor above. "Is he ready for this, Bella?"

I shrugged. "I don't know that any of us are, but we're going to have to be."

Our conversation turned to lighter matters, and I was about to suggest that we think about turning in, when the doorbell rang. Both Esme and I hurried to the door, wary of who would be calling at the late hour.

Carlisle snapped it open, prepared to find an overzealous media hound on the other side, only to come face to face with a very disheveled Tanya.

"I am so sorry that I'm late. I caught an earlier flight in so I would have some time to set up and got into an accident on my way here," she said in a rush.

"Did you get caught up in that tractor-trailer traffic as well?" Edward asked, taking the bag she was carrying from her.

Tanya made a face. "No, I _was_ the tractor-trailer accident. The car it hit plowed into my rental car. Thank God for rental insurance. It took awhile to get the accident cleared and to get me into another vehicle, but I made it."

"Oh, my God. Are you okay?" I asked, ushering her into the house.

We moved into the den, which was the most comfortable room, and settled her into a plushy chair. Esme appeared with a fresh cup of tea over my shoulder and handed it to Tanya. Tanya's hands only trembled slightly.

"I suppose. My neck is sore, and I'm going to have a nasty seat belt bruise. My air bag didn't deploy, so I was saved the face burns. The EMTs cleared me at the scene," she hastened to add when Carlisle looked concerned.

"Is your overnight bag still in the car?" he asked.

She nodded. "I wanted to come here first before you went to bed. I haven't checked in yet."

"I'd like you to stay here tonight instead," he offered. He could tell she was preparing to refuse, so he added, "It would give me some peace of mind in case your injuries become intolerable. I'm sure you will also be more sore in the morning."

"Thank you," she accepted graciously.

Edward promptly left the room and went out to get Tanya's bag while Esme prepared a room for her. Any discussion of the interview would have to wait until morning.

I helped Tanya into the bathroom, as the stiffness was starting to set in, and Esme and I got her settled in.

"The camera crew will be here at ten o'clock in the morning," she warned us. "Everyone will need to be ready to go then. I also would like at least an hour beforehand to go over the questions they've submitted to me."

"So, we'll all meet in the kitchen, ready to go, at eight-thirty?" I suggested.

Tanya nodded and set an alarm on her cell phone. She thanked us both, her voice quiet, and climbed into bed.

Esme and I left the room and returned to the den, where Carlisle and Edward were waiting.

"Is she okay?" Edward asked, his brow creased in concern.

"I think so. She'll be sore tomorrow, though," I answered.

Edward nodded and took my hand. "I think we're going to head to bed," he said. They told us goodnight, and we walked toward the room that we had stayed in previously. Knowing that it was going to be an early morning, I got ready for bed quickly and set an alarm. Edward crawled in next to me and wrapped his arms around me.

I wondered if Tanya felt odd sleeping in the same house as Edward when he was sleeping with me, but as I drifted off, I found that I was too content in his embrace to care.

When the alarm went off the next morning, Edward and I both hastened to get up and get ready for the day. He put on his uniform, and I dressed in one of my business suits. Carlisle and Esme were also well-dressed for the day, and the anxiety in the kitchen was palpable.

"Where's Ryan?" I asked, not seeing him at the table. Since Esme had already started on breakfast, this was an unusual occurrence.

She huffed and pursed her lips in aggravation. "He doesn't want to get dressed."

I turned on my heel and went straight to his room. "Ryan, what are doing?" I asked when I found him sitting on his bed in his underwear with his door wide open.

"I don't like that shirt," he groused, crossing his arms over his chest.

It was a plain white button down. Esme had set out a nice tie to go with it and a nice set of khaki dress pants. "What's wrong with it?" I asked.

"It's itchy," he complained. "I want to wear the blue one." He pointed to a blue plaid button down hanging on his closet door.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Ryan, you need to wear what Esme set out for you."

"No!" he yelled. "I don't want to!"

He was melting down. The pressure of the situation, the anxiety of the coming interview, it was all making itself known in this one moment. And Tanya was walking down the hall behind me.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, poking her head in the room. She held her back stiffly, but smiled nonetheless.

"Yes, we're just having a wardrobe disagreement," I informed her, trying to tamp down my irritation at her intrusion.

"Oh?" she said, smiling. "That outfit will work perfectly. What's wrong with it?" She looked at me as if _I _was the one that was causing the drama and not the mostly naked kid on the bed.

"There's nothing wrong with it. He just doesn't want to wear it," I said, gritting my teeth.

"I want to wear my blue shirt," Ryan piped up, directing both of our attentions back to it with his eyes.

Tanya's nose crinkled, and she shook her head. "Not on TV, you don't," she said. "You'll look like a big blueberry. You want people to see how handsome you are, not to be staring at your shirt the whole time."

Ryan grumbled, but grabbed the clothes and stomped to the bathroom. When the snick of the door closing sounded behind him, Tanya turned to me and gave me a pained smile.

"Good morning. Sorry if I stepped on your toes." She seemed so genuine and in enough pain for both of us that I had a hard time nurturing my ire.

"It's fine. I wouldn't have thought of that, and I know it's your field. I think he's just really overwhelmed today." I took a deep breath and let it out. "Are you feeling okay this morning?"

She chuckled ruefully. "Dr. Cullen gave me some muscle relaxers a bit ago because I couldn't get up. I might get a little loopy here in a bit."

I laughed. "In that case, we'd better get this started."

Tanya looped her arm through mine, and we walked together down the stairs after I yelled to Ryan to come eat breakfast as soon as he was dressed.

Esme had all the food on the table, and the men were already eating. At least, they looked like they were eating, but I noticed that the amount of food on Edward's plate wasn't diminishing like it normally would. Tanya sat down at the table and took some food onto her own plate while I filled a glass of juice and a mug of coffee for myself. Ryan bounded into the room, dressed in the correct clothes, although his shirt wasn't tucked in. Esme and I looked at each other and silently agreed to let it go for now.

"Okay, here's the deal," Tanya began. "The _60 Minutes_ producers sent me these questions, and I went over them with both Aron and Tia. Bella and Edward, they are going to ask you to relive Ryan's birth for them. You may give as much detail as you want, but I am encouraging you to mention these points: Edward, you were not allowed in the delivery room. Bella, you had no one with you and were given a placebo in place of pain medication. Neither of you ever signed anything. Feel free to throw Gerandy under the bus. That's what we want. Don't bad mouth him or expound on your feelings at this point; just tell the public what he did.

"Esme and Carlisle, they are going to ask you about the adoption process. Be as clear and concise as you can be. I know that it was a stressful time in your lives, as well, but we want the public to see that there was no wrong-doing on your part, either. We don't want them to turn this into a conspiracy. Tia and Aron both assured me that other than a meeting between lawyers, this was handled as a normal closed adoption would be." Tanya paused to take a breath. "We want the public to know that you had nothing to do with Ryan's kidnapping.

"They will also ask about how Ryan was found again. Avoid talking about any arguing that happened during this time. We want to present everyone here as you are: four loving parents trying to do what's best for a little boy. Nothing in this broadcast will affect the custody case in anyway, unless one of you starts a brawl on national television. All we are trying to do is get sympathy on our side so that when Gerandy is tried, the jurors already have some of this in their minds, as well as to get the real story out there," Tanya advised.

"Ryan, you are going to be asked how you feel about what Dr. Gerandy did. Be honest. I nixed all questions that have to do with Ryan's living arrangements and what he prefers. This isn't the venue for that. Lesley Stahl is going to be the one to do the interview. She has several Emmys and is a very accomplished journalist. This is going to be a story on its own, but it will also feature as part of a larger special she's developing on black market baby selling in the United States. Do you have any questions?" Tanya asked as she passed around a sheet with the specific questions for us all to see.

"How long will this take?" Esme asked.

"Around two hours, probably. They will tape the entire conversation, but only about ten to fifteen minutes will air, maybe less," Tanya answered. "The entire interview—edited, of course—will probably be posted on their website, and a transcript may be made available to other news outlets. Lesley will spend a little time getting to know each of you, as well, for supplemental information. Edward, she already has your service records, so be prepared for questions about that. Carlisle, I'm sure she has information on your career, as well as Bella's. Ryan's school records are publically available, so I imagine she has all of that, too."

"Is anything in our lives sacred anymore?" Edward groused. He hadn't slept well and was a little grumpy.

"Nope." Tanya's answer was plain and simple. "For now, you are public figures. Get used to it."

That didn't seem to please Edward, but he didn't say anything, so I let it be. We finished eating what little we were going to get down, and I helped Esme put away anything that could be eaten again later. Just as she shut the refrigerator door for the last time, the doorbell rang. Carlisle and Tanya went to get it, knowing that it would be the _60 Minutes_ crew.

Lesley Stahl was an attractive woman on television, but her personality made her that much more endearing. She politely asked Esme where a good place for the hair and make-up lady to set up would be and took great care to not disturb too many things in the Cullens' home.

Once the camera crew was underway in getting set up, she ushered us all into the kitchen. "I'm sure Ms. Fielding has explained how things are going to work today. I want to spend a few moments with each of you, just to get to know you a little better. I also know that she has shown you the approved list of questions. I will do my best not to stray from that; however, sometimes during the course of the interview, an extra follow up question will come up. If you don't want to answer, that's fine. Just let me know, and we'll edit it out."

Her eyes took in each of our faces as she pondered something. "I'd like to start with Ryan, if that's okay with you. This part will not be taped. It is just to make you all more real to the public."

Edward and I looked to the Cullens and nodded our approval.

"That would be fine," Carlisle said a bit stiffly. "If you'd like, you can use my office." He rose and led them from the room.

Esme, Edward, Tanya, and I fidgeted. The make-up lady used that moment to come into the room and introduce herself. She told us that she was going to get us ready for the cameras, starting with me. Fortunately, it didn't take long, and she only made my make-up slightly darker than I already had it so the lights wouldn't wash me out. I did get to watch her put make-up on Edward, though, and both Esme and I giggled at his expressions.

"What?" he cried. "It feels weird. I have no idea why you do this to yourselves every day. It smells terrible!"

That only set off more laughter, the make-up lady included.

Carlisle and Ryan returned as Edward was finishing up and motioned for me to go on to his study. I squeezed Edward's hand on my way out the door and walked quickly back there before I lost my nerve completely.

Lesley was perched on one of the guest chairs and told me to have a seat in the other. "Don't look so nervous," she chuckled. "It's not the Inquisition. I just want to get to know a little more about you."

"Go ahead." I smiled anxiously.

She asked me about my schooling, my career, and my family. It was all surface information. I could only surmise that she was saving the harder questions for the camera. In less than ten minutes, I was leaving and sending Esme, who was already ready, into the office in my stead.

Edward went back next. Ryan and I went into the living room and watched as the television crew set up their lights and cameras around the room. Ryan was uncharacteristically quiet and clingy. He held onto my hand and tucked himself into my side.

"You okay, Ry?" I asked quietly so no one could hear but him.

He shrugged, his eyes still wide and staring ahead. "Yeah, it's just weird, you know? What if I say something wrong?"

I turned and knelt down next to him, forcing his eyes to meet mine. "Listen to me, Ryan. We want you to tell the truth and say what you feel. As long as you are truthful, you can't say anything wrong." That was a simplistic way of putting things, yes, but on the fly, I couldn't think of another way to reassure him. I didn't have time to say more, as Lesley and her producer, whose name I couldn't remember, came up behind us and ushered us into the living room.

After directing us where to sit and explaining their process again, Lesley took her seat on the edge of the wingback chair from the guest room. What followed were the most tense two hours I'd experienced in years, possibly since Ryan's birth. It was even worse than the custody hearing just weeks before.

"Ms. Swan, tell me about your life when you discovered you were pregnant with Ryan."

"Major Masen, what were your plans? How did you intend to support your growing family? Did you plan to stay together?"

"Describe for me the circumstances surrounding Ryan's birth."

"Ms. Swan, how did you feel when you were told your son was dead?"

Before I was able to answer that one, I forced the cameras to stop rolling while I regained control of my emotions. Really? How did she think I felt? In the interest of giving the public a fair look into our life, I answered before I was completely composed.

"It was the most gut-wrenching experience of my life. I couldn't understand how it had happened. I'd been feeling him move all day. I'd heard his heartbeat on the monitors while I was in labor, but Dr. Gerandy was firm when he told me that the umbilical cord had wrapped around Ryan's neck in the birth canal and they were unable to revive him. All I could do was cry. Nothing would bring my son back," I said.

Then, she asked about our separation: what precipitated it and how we grew apart. When she listed off our accomplishments, even I had to admit that they sounded impressive. I hadn't even realized that Edward had been awarded the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Service Medal. She made him sound like the hero he was.

After going through the details of our reunification, which she barely touched on, she focused on how we'd found Ryan again.

"Why were you in Forks?"

"What were you doing that morning?"

"How did you recognize him?"

For the last one, I laughed and looked at Ryan. "It would be hard not to see Edward in him," I answered.

Lesley smiled and noted that they were going to flash a picture of ten-year-old Edward next to Ryan's last school photo on the screen so that the audience would understand.

From there, she turned to Carlisle and Esme and asked about what led them to adoption and their own experience. I had heard it before, of course, but while I listened to them telling their story, my mind wandered back to those early days when I'd suspected I was expecting, before I'd told Edward.

I'd researched adoption. We hadn't really been ready for a child, I'd known that, but I'd also known that there was no way I could get rid of something that was a part of Edward and me. What I'd read filtered through my memories, and I compared it to research that I'd done on my own time since Ryan had come back into our lives. Both my memories and their story confirmed that other than meeting with an attorney representing me, their experience was just as it should have been. Lesley also touched on their emotional states at the time, and Carlisle conceded that had they not just lost their own child—again—that he might have had the presence of mind to insist on meeting me.

"Ryan, how did you feel about finding out that your birth parents wanted you and still wanted to be involved in your life?" Lesley asked.

Ryan started a bit, clearly not expecting that his turn had come. "It felt great," he told her. "I'm very lucky to have two sets of parents that love and want me."

"How do you feel about what Dr. Gerandy did? His actions gave you to the Cullens," she said slyly.

Ryan, fortunately, was a smart kid. "I'm glad that I was given to the Cullens instead of another family. They are great parents. What Dr. Gerandy did, though, was wrong. I had parents that loved and wanted me, and he had no right to take me away from them."

"What do you think should happen to him, Ryan?" Lesley asked.

"He should go to jail," Ryan said firmly. "He took me away from my family, so it's only right that he should be taken away from his."

Shortly after those words of wisdom, Lesley wrapped up the interview and thanked us for talking to her. She promised to let Tanya know the date the program would be aired, as well, and reiterated that it was the first part of a series on kidnapping for profit in America.

We stood by and watched as the camera crew expertly stowed their equipment and replaced all of the furniture to its correct location. Much more quickly than they'd come in, the _60 Minutes_ crew was gone.

"Thank you, Tanya," I said when she reappeared in front of me with her luggage. "Are you going to be okay to get home?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She hugged me. "I'll let you know if they need anything else. If you find that you have to do anything else with the local press, let me know and I'll get someone local to set it up with the right people."

"Thank you."

Edward hugged her, and I was surprised at how little the sight bothered me now. She turned and shook hands with both Esme and Carlisle and rubbed her hand through Ryan's hair, mussing it and making him laugh. We watched her to her car and let out a sigh of relief as she drove away. It was as though with her exit, the stress of the day went with her.

"Is anyone else hungry?" Carlisle asked. "Because I'm starving. Let's go to the diner." He jingled the keys to Esme's van.

We all looked at each other and laughed. Edward held out his hand, and we all left the house—as a family.

**Did the interview go like you thought it would? I'm curious as to your reactions. Thanks for reading!**

**I didn't really have much time to read anything new this week—heck, I've got piles of updates in my inbox. Send me your favorites this week . . .**


	33. Chapter 33

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable crap belongs to those who own it. Yeah. That. **

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience last week. I really wanted to get this out to you, but my days kind of ran together. And then there was the whole escorting 9 and 10 year olds around Chicago. I didn't sleep for three days. I didn't think it was possible to get more tired than I was, but I was wrong. Thanks to JenRar for betaing this too!**

**You all know that I always try to be as accurate as possible in my stories. Because of the timelines, I'm having to fudge a little in this chapter. Both UW and the Seattle Zoo offer the camps described; however, they are all offered in July and not in August, as depicted here. Thanks for the leeway!**

**Chapter 33**

Edward and I left Forks on Saturday night, much to Ryan's dismay. We assured him that we would see him in a couple of weeks and that he could call us whenever he wanted. Secretly, I hoped that he would start to call every night like he had for Carlisle and Esme while he was with us, but I didn't think it would really happen that way; I would be content with at least of couple of calls a week.

"I love you," Ryan murmured into my shirt as he gave me a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"Me, too, buddy," I told him. "I love you, too, and we'll see you soon. Just like when you were at our house, the two weeks will fly by."

He nodded, seemingly unconvinced, though. He turned to Edward and whispered his love to him as well. I could barely hold in the tears, watching the two of them together.

"Let me know when you figure out a date for the wedding," Esme told me, giving me a light hug as well. "We'll get the planning started."

"Thank you so much . . . for everything," I replied.

She simply smiled and patted my hand.

Ryan pulled away from Edward then, and Edward motioned me toward the car. This was the hardest part of our custody agreement so far—leaving our son behind after having had him for two weeks.

We waved as we pulled out of the driveway and smiled at the family we were leaving behind. Only when they were out of sight did I let the tears fall.

~SD~

The next two weeks felt strange, though they weren't much different than the life we'd been living before our class reunion. We got together with our friends, worked, and loved each other. The biggest change for us, though, was getting to talk to Ryan for a few minutes when he called every night. He missed us, but had lots to report where his friends were concerned.

I got information from Angela on the youth group at her church, and I also registered Ryan for a week long baseball camp at UW. He was thrilled when we told him. With his days full of fun—at the zoo and at UW—it seemed that his upcoming trip would run much more smoothly than the last one had. All in all, our lives were settling in.

On Friday evening, while we were loading the car before going to get Ryan in Forks, Edward's phone rang.

"Oh, dear God," he muttered, when he saw it was his mother calling. "Bella, I swear to God, if they tell me they are at the airport, I'm telling them to turn around and get on another plane back home." He answered the call, but I could tell his patience was wearing thin.

I watched his expression change from frustration to thought in the span of a few seconds. "I'm not sure, Mom. I'll have to talk to Bella and see what our plans are. I know that I'll be out of town next weekend for my Reserve training, but we might be able to work something out with the following one or sometime during the week."

He listened for a few more minutes and then nodded. "Yeah, we're getting ready to get in the car. Let me call you back." He threw the last bag in the trunk and slid into the driver's seat.

"What was _that_ all about?" I asked once he'd settled in and gotten the car in motion. It was going to be another Wendy's night for us, apparently, because that was where he was headed.

"It's the strangest thing. Mom called ahead to schedule a visit with us and Ryan." He laughed in disbelief and grinned.

"She's not coming this weekend?" I asked for clarification.

He shook his head. "No, she said she knew that we would have Ryan for a couple of weeks and wondered if she could come down next weekend or the week after."

"You won't be here next weekend," I retorted. "I'm not entertaining them on my own."

Edward sighed, but he remained patient. "That's why I suggested the following weekend or sometime during the week. Which would you rather?"

I thought about it seriously for a minute. "If Carlisle and Esme are okay with coming to get Ryan on Sunday, I'd rather have them here for the weekend. With both of us working during the week and Ryan in camp, we wouldn't get to see them much. It would make their trip out pointless."

"Well, we'll talk to them tonight, then," Edward concluded. "I'll call Mom tomorrow."

We wheeled through Wendy's and got our food, continuing on to Forks and chattering about our weeks and the ones upcoming.

Ryan was waiting on the porch for us when we got there. Because it was already so late, he was in his pajamas. We'd made arrangements to stay here with the Cullens for the night, and we were planning to leave first thing in the morning.

"Hey, buddy!" I called as I got out of the car. Edward heaved our overnight bag out of the trunk and joined me on the walk up to the porch.

"Hey," Ryan said back. He sounded a little morose.

I gave him a hug as soon as I got close enough. "What's the matter?"

He shrugged. "Trent's birthday party is next weekend, and I'm going to miss it. He just told me today."

I cut my eyes over to Edward. He'd already be gone for the weekend. There was nothing saying we couldn't come down here for a couple of days without him. "When is it?" I asked.

Ryan hugged Edward and led him inside. "Saturday afternoon. It's not really a big deal, I guess."

I rolled my eyes, knowing that I'd manipulated my parents the same way when I was his age. And I knew I'd talk to Esme about it. This was going to be the difficult part of Ryan having to split his time between cities. He'd have friends, hopefully, in both places and would inevitably have to miss some things.

We sent Ryan off to bed, and I found Esme in the kitchen, still puttering around. "I'm sorry it's so late," I apologized. There was nothing like guests showing up after ten at night.

"It's fine," she assured me. "We wouldn't be in bed yet anyway. Carlisle's still at the hospital."

"Oh, no. I hope it's nothing serious," I replied.

Carlisle had changed his schedule to be off the night shift when the media attention started. He didn't want to leave Ryan and Esme home alone, just in case.

She smiled wanly. "There was an accident on the 101 earlier, near the bends. It wasn't fatal, but two people needed surgery."

I shivered at the thought. Accidents out there were never good. I sank into the kitchen chair and took the cup of tea that Esme offered.

"So, about the weekend," I started, intending to talk to her about the Masens' visit.

She sighed. "He didn't. I made him promise that he wouldn't ask you to drive back to Forks for Trent's party."

I laughed. "Oh, he didn't. He just mentioned it. That wasn't what I was thinking, but perhaps the two can go hand in hand. If you don't mind, I'd like to come in next weekend, see Dad, and let Ryan go to Trent's party. Edward will be out of town anyway. The following weekend, though, his parents want to come in for a visit. Could we maybe move back your pick-up time until Sunday?" I suggested.

"I don't see why not. I'll talk to Carlisle and make sure that works with his schedule. Are things better with them now? I know that before, neither of you were getting along with them," she asked. She and I had talked about it after the hearing. She'd seen how Edward had reacted to his dad and Carlisle and had wondered what the story was.

"Eh, maybe?" I made it sound like a question, because I really wasn't sure. "They've tried to make their peace with both of us, but there's so much hurt in the past, I think it'll be hard to get over. No matter what we think, though, Ryan deserves to know them, even if they don't deserve to know him." I shrugged and grimaced.

Esme laughed softly. "I know how that feels. It's never pleasant when you disagree with a parent about your children, but you don't want the kids to suffer for it." Apparently, her disagreements with her mother were more deep-seated than I realized. "Anyway, what time are you planning to leave in the morning?"

"I think Edward wanted to get out of here around eight or nine," I answered, yawning.

"All right. You should get on to bed; you have a long drive tomorrow. Carlisle shouldn't be too much later, so I'll see you in the morning."

She gave me a hug, and I climbed the stairs to our usual room. Edward was just coming out of Ryan's room. I poked my head in and told him goodnight before going into our room.

It had been such a long day for both Edward and me that we didn't talk much as we got ready for bed and fell asleep almost immediately. The alarm Edward had set on his phone went off my earlier than I would have liked, and I begged him to hit snooze once. He was tired enough that he acquiesced.

When we finally got up and were ready, we found Esme already in the kitchen, making breakfast. Ryan had requested pancakes, and she was happy to oblige. She was still in her robe and glasses, but I wasn't going to begrudge her that, especially after she told us that Carlisle was still sleeping, since he hadn't gotten home until after two.

"Oh, Carlisle said that he can switch his Sunday shift for a Saturday shift, so the schedule change will be fine," Esme informed us when she joined us at the table with a huge plate of pancakes.

"Thank you," Edward said. "I know Mom and Dad will appreciate it." He didn't look too thrilled about not having an excuse for them to stay home, but the reparations had to start somewhere, and he was happy that they'd at least asked before coming this time.

"Have you thought anymore about a date for the wedding?" Esme asked while we ate.

I sighed. "I wanted to do it at the end of August, but Edward has training, so that's out. If we don't do it in September, it's almost guaranteed that it'll rain. At least in the summer months, there's a possibility of sunshine."

"Just let me know," she said agreeably.

We helped her clean up the table and then gathered all of our stuff and put it in the car. Carlisle came down to say goodbye to Ryan and hug him. We exchanged pleasantries and got underway.

Ryan chattered as we drove. He was excited to be coming back to Seattle and about the camps we had planned for him. He asked about a million questions, only some of which we had answers to, but it was good to be able to listen to him again.

Edward called his parents, and they promised to send him their itinerary as soon as they made their arrangements. With Ryan settled into his room, the guest room was open. We discussed inviting them to stay here, but in the end, decided that it would be better for Edward's sanity to have some respite from them.

For most of the weekend, we lounged around the house and spent time together. The craziness started on Monday, and we wanted to be together as much as possible. I took Ryan to the zoo each morning, and Edward picked him up in the afternoon. Over dinner, Ryan told us all about what he'd learned—animal management, husbandry, and caring for animals native to Washington. After dinner, we'd play games. For the first time, I really felt like we were like every other family in America.

On Wednesday, Ryan went to the youth group meeting at Angela's church and was excited about seeing his new friends again when he came home. I loved that he had friends here with us, and I wondered if that would be enough to make him want to leave Forks permanently.

By Friday, we had settled into a routine, only to then turn around and break it up. Edward got Ryan a little early from Zoo U and brought him to the office, as he was getting ready to leave for his Reserve weekend. Ryan had his therapy session, and afterwards, we got straight on the road for our weekend in Forks.

"Is everything okay, Ry?" I asked after almost an hour of silence on his part. Because he'd just had his session, I'd wanted to give him time, but hearing nothing was driving me mad.

He shrugged. "Do you guys still fight?" he asked, rather out of the blue.

"Who?"

"You, Dad, and Mom and Dad. Do you really get along?"

My mind raced, wondering how much he'd heard before and if there was something I'd missed recently. "We get along fine now. What brought this up?"

"Just—" he paused "—I know that when you first started coming over, you didn't always get along. I might be ten, but I'm not deaf. Like that time when Dad told me you canceled your trip after the reporters came to the grocery store. I don't know." He seemed uncomfortable with this discussion, but I was glad he'd finally brought it up.

"There were times when we had different opinions on how things should go," I admitted. "The Cullens adopted you, thinking that they were finally going to get to raise the son they'd always wanted, only to have your dad and me come back into your life. We all just want what is best for you, though, and working together is better for everyone. What's worrying you?"

"Jacob said that our situation was a lot like a divorce and that lots of kids have to adjust to having two different families. But most divorced parents fight—you all used to fight, and I didn't like that," he said.

I sighed. On the one hand, Jacob was right. With two different households that Ryan was shuttled between, it was easy to see the comparison. However, we didn't have the painful histories involved in many divorces. "There's one major difference, Ryan. When parents decide they don't love each other anymore and get divorced, there are usually a lot of hard feelings and anger involved. It's sometimes hard for those parents to set aside their differences to do what is best. In this case, you are what ties us together. We all love you and will do everything we can to make your life better."

Ryan nodded, but did not comment. He stared out the window for several more miles. When he finally spoke, it was more about the people he'd met over the week, both in zoo camp and at church. I listened and laughed with him.

We got into Forks late, and I sent him straight to bed after he'd told Esme and Carlisle hello. I stayed up and talked to them a bit.

"What are your plans for the second to last weekend in September?" I asked Esme as we sat around the kitchen table.

She shrugged and shook her head. "As far as I know, we don't have any. Why?"

"Edward and I thought that would be a good weekend to get married. The church is available," I noted. That was an important piece of information to have.

Her brow furrowed. "Can you find a caterer and florist that can work on such short notice? That only leaves you a little more than a month. Have you even found a dress?"

"Alice has the dress already made. It might need a few alterations, but it's actually been done for years—even when there was no groom. As for the flowers, I'll check with Mrs. Marshall tomorrow. I don't see why she couldn't do it. It's not like there are tons of events around here."

Esme laughed. "You make a good point. How many people are we talking about?"

I mentally ran through the list. "Maybe twenty five? We both want it to be family and close friends only."

"That shouldn't be too hard, then. There's a rental place in Port Angeles where I can get a couple of tents, tables, and chairs. Do you want a dance floor?" she asked. Carlisle walked in while she was talking and turned immediately around and walked back out. Esme laughed at his wide eyed reaction.

"Yeah, we have to have somewhere to do the traditional stuff. I suppose we'll need a DJ, too." I hadn't really thought about how many people would need to be involved. "And a cake."

Esme tapped her finger against her lips for a moment. "How about this? In the morning, you go spend some time with your dad. Ryan and I will come pick you up, and we will drop him off at Trent's. Either Carlisle can get him or he can stay with Trent a little after the party is over. We can stop by Marshall's on the way out of town to see about the flowers and then go check out the rest in Port Angeles. Will that work for you?"

I leaned over and hugged her. "Thank you," I whispered. "That sounds perfect."

She patted my back and grinned. "No, thank you. I love doing stuff like this. I was part of the event committee for the hospital in LA, and I loved it. There's not much need here for that."

I was amazed at how things had turned out. A year ago, I could never have imagined my life being the way it was now. I'd found the love of my life again, we'd discovered that our son was still alive and gained custody. Through it all, I'd found a friend—more like an older sister, really—that understood and supported me.

We firmed up our plans and retired for the evening; Esme poked her head into Ryan's room on the way and found Carlisle sitting on the edge of Ryan's bed, reading to him. We both blew Ryan a kiss so as to not disturb them and went to bed.

Dad was an early riser. When I got to his house at eight thirty, he'd been up and working around the house for a couple of hours. He poured us both some fresh coffee, and we sat in the living room, just catching up. I had forgotten how peaceful it could be to just spend some time with my father.

Before I knew it, it was time for him to go to work. Esme pulled into the driveway and Ryan shouted to him from the back seat as Dad got into his cruiser. The smile on my dad's face told me that it had made his day.

Trent's mom was only too happy to keep Ryan for awhile. Trent had been missing his new friend and was eager to show him the new game system and the new bat he'd gotten for his birthday. She told us just to call when we were on the way back.

Mrs. Marshall was thrilled to see us walk in her door, though whether it was because she was genuinely happy to see us or because she wanted gossip, I wasn't sure.

"Bella! Mrs. Cullen! How are you today?" she called from the back of the store where she was arranging a bouquet. "Give me just a second, and I'll be right with you."

I glanced around the shop and took in all of the flowers. I had a vague idea of what I wanted, and I could only hope that Mrs. Marshall would be able to help me define it.

"Well, ladies, what I can do for you today?" she asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

Esme smiled at me, encouraging me to go ahead.

"I need some flowers for my wedding. We'd like to get married on September sixteenth. Can you do that?" I asked nervously. I wasn't sure what I would do if she said no.

The joy on her face spoke volumes. Mrs. Marshall clapped her hands together and practically squealed. "Oh, I always imagined getting to do your wedding. You and Edward make such a handsome couple. I'm sure that Katie and I can manage it." She flipped through a paper calendar on the counter. "We don't have anything that weekend, either. What did you have in mind?"

I was kind of torn between white lilies and roses or wildflowers, and I told her so. "It's going to be a small wedding at the church, and the reception will be out at the Cullens' house."

She pursed her lips and looked deep in thought for a moment. "Do you have your dress yet?" she asked.

I flipped out my phone and texted Alice to send me a picture of the dress she'd made for me. Within seconds, I was able to hold it out and show it to Mrs. Marshall.

"That's lovely, dear. Alice is such a talented young lady," she sighed. "The gown is so simple and elegant. I think we should go with the lilies and deep red roses. That will be beautiful and perfect for fall."

"Do you have any photographs of what the arrangements would look like?" Esme asked.

Mrs. Marshall pondered it for a moment and then reached around to a bookshelf near the wall. She pulled out a photo album and flipped through it until she found what she was looking for. "It won't look exactly like this, of course, but this should give you some idea." She pointed to a series of photographs with white lilies and pink and yellow roses. They were beautiful.

"Yes, I think those will do just fine," Esme said, patting my hand and smiling widely.

I nodded in agreement and gave Mrs. Marshall a list of what we would need.

With that done, we said goodbye to the florist and drove to Port Angeles. There were two restaurants and one catering company that had space available for that date. Esme had made a few calls that morning on my behalf and scheduled appointments for us.

In the end, the second restaurant had the best food and gave us a decent price. I signed the forms with a flourish, glad that one more detail was checked off the list.

By the time we started the trek back to Forks, we had food, flowers, a DJ, chairs, tents, tables, and a dance floor. There was a bakery in Seattle that I wanted to use for the cake, so that would have to wait, and the boys would just wear suits or uniforms. All in all, it had been a very productive day.

"Esme, thank you so much for helping me with this. You have no idea how much I appreciate it," I told her sincerely as we wound through the forest.

"You're welcome. I know that you don't have your mom around to help, and Alice is in Seattle with you. It's the least I can do," she said with a sad smile.

"The least you can do?" I asked, shocked. The woman opened her home to us frequently and had made this transition so much easier than it could have been.

Her eyes stayed trained on the road. "You could have taken him away from us without a thought, Bella, and never looked back. Ryan is your son, no matter how much I love him as my own. But you haven't, and you've made it clear that you don't intend to. There are no words to express how grateful I am for that."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. She was right; we could have insisted that Ryan had been stolen and that he should be returned to us without delay. That, however, wasn't what was best for Ryan, and he was the priority. "He loves you and would miss you terribly. I couldn't do that to him," I finally said.

She nodded, but didn't reply. In fact, neither of us spoke again until we arrived at Trent's house and loaded Ryan into the car.

He was in a fantastic mood. Getting to spend some time with his best friend had livened him up. He talked all the way home to Seattle, too. The difference between our trip down and the trip back was not lost on me.

Edward came home the next day to a family that was eager to see him. While we ate dinner together, Ryan regaled him with stories of his time at Trent's party the day before, and I told him about the wedding arrangements that I'd made. He seemed pleased, at least.

It wasn't until later, after Ryan was safely tucked into bed, that we talked about what we'd both noticed.

"He was really happy to see his friends this weekend," Edward mused, running his hands across my back while I rested my head on his chest.

"He was," I agreed. "It's the most lively I've seen him in a while."

Edward sighed. "As much as I hate to admit this, maybe we shouldn't fight him staying in school in Forks a little longer. There have been so many changes in his life in the last few months. I don't think we should take him away from all of his friends, too."

It was the same thing I had been pondering since yesterday. "I love him and I want him with us, but we're still new to him—still strangers in some sense. I don't like that we'll only see him every other weekend, though." I smoothed Edward's t-shirt over his stomach.

Edward barked a laugh. "This is the part they never tell you about being a parent—having to make decisions that you don't like for your kid. I don't want to be like my parents, though. Let's talk to him about it tomorrow over dinner. Let him have a day of baseball camp under his belt and see what he thinks."

I agreed and curled a little farther into him. For a brief moment, I thought about showing him how much I'd missed him, but as his breathing quickly evened out, I decided that I would let my very exhausted man sleep.

**I hope you enjoyed this! Thanks for reading!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. I own this. End of story. **

**A/N: This story is starting to come to an end. I'm rather bittersweet about this. On one hand, I'm going to miss this story and you guys terribly. On the other hand . . . yeah, knowing that I'm going to disappoint you guys at some point makes me happy that it's ending. This is the last banked chapter that I have. The good news is that most of the next one is actually written. It's not done yet, but I'm hoping to get it done soon. Writing time and brain power has been so sparse over the last couple of months, but it is getting better. Thank you for hanging in there with me. I appreciate each and every one of you and all of the kind words you provide each week in my inbox. **

**Chapter 34**

Ryan was still sweaty and disheveled when I got home the next day. I sent him to the shower while I helped Edward finish dinner.

"How did it go?" I asked quietly.

Edward nodded slowly. "He had fun, I think. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it at dinner if he can stay awake long enough. He fell asleep in the car on the way home."

I laughed and poured myself a glass of wine. My own day had been long, and knowing that I was coming home to Ryan and Edward had been the only thing that had gotten me through it.

We had just gotten everything on the table when Ryan came back downstairs. He was already in his pajamas and looked barely awake. Ryan plopped into his chair and stared at the roast on the table as if it would somehow magically jump onto his plate.

"Tired, bud?" I asked, not really concealing my amusement. I filled his plate with the roast, new potatoes, and green beans that Edward had made for dinner, and I even scooted Ryan's glass of milk closer to him.

"I don't think I've ever run that much in my life," he said. "I'm not sure I can move. Never want to do that again."

Edward snorted. "Don't join the military, then."

Ryan shook his head. "Seriously, Coach makes us run every time we mess up something that he thinks we should have gotten right. I didn't swing at a strike, and I had to run around the field. The pitcher, this kid named Russ, spent more time running around the outfield than he did on the mound."

Edward smirked. "Did you swing at the next one?"

Ryan's eyes got big, and he nodded. "I didn't want to run anymore."

"Then you learned the lesson." Edward shrugged. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, other than the running, I did. The guys are pretty cool. One of them was on the team that went to the state finals last year. He's really good," Ryan reported. He shoved some potatoes in his mouth and chewed.

It got quiet for a minute while we ate, and then Edward broke the silence. "There are some fall ball teams starting soon nearby. I'll bet some of those guys will be playing. Would you want to do that?"

"Sure," Ryan said easily. "I love to play, but I don't think our team is doing fall ball. Too many of the kids play football, too."

I hesitated and glanced at Edward.

He grimaced and nodded.

"I think your dad meant for you to play up here, Ryan."

Ryan looked confused. "But how would I get to practice during the week?"

"One of us would take you. You'd live here, with us," Edward said.

Ryan shook his head. "I thought the judge said I was supposed to live in Forks for school."

"If you want to, yes, but you also have the option of coming to Seattle. Ms. Hollings has to report back to the court before school starts. We aren't going to be upset no matter what you choose, Ryan," I assured him. "We just want to make sure that you know that you do have the option."

"I'd have to leave all my friends and Mom and Dad," he said quietly.

Edward glanced at me and gave me a sad smile. He reached across the table and laid his hand on Ryan's. "You would. You'd make new friends here, just like you did when you moved to Forks. If you don't want to do that yet, though, we understand."

"Do I have to decide right now?" Ryan's voice cracked as he asked.

"No, sweetheart," I rushed to tell him. "We just wanted your thoughts on it and for you to consider your options. We love you and would love to have you with us all the time, but we know that you have ties to Forks, too."

"Okay," he agreed and started pushing his food around on his plate. "Dad, did you talk to Jasper about the computer today?"

I shot Edward a questioning look.

He smiled at me and explained. "Jasper was with me last Thursday when I picked up Ryan from camp. He's getting a new laptop, and we were talking about it in the car. Ryan wanted me to talk to him and find out how much it would be for Jasper to get one that would fit Ryan's needs."

"Oh?" I asked. I wasn't sure what to think about this. More than anyone, I knew the effects that cyber-bullying could have on kids and what dangers were out there lurking. Edward, of course, had already put a lot of thought into it.

"Jasper thinks he can wipe his old one and refurbish it to be what Ryan needs without much trouble. Ryan, _if_ you get this, there will be rules, both here and at the Cullens'. I'm going to code it to restrict what websites you can access. When you are old enough to get on social media sites—which you aren't now—all of us will have access to your accounts, both as friends and with your passwords. I'll also be checking your activity," Edward warned.

"Yes, sir," Ryan agreed without hesitation.

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "I'll talk to Carlisle and Esme when they come to pick you up. It'll take a few weeks before it's ready anyway, since Jasper hasn't ordered his new one."

We chatted for a few more minutes, but Ryan was fading fast. By the time his plate was clean, he was yawning almost continuously. "Can I go to bed?" he asked through yet another yawn.

"Sure, sweetheart," I laughed gently. "I'll be right up."

He hoisted himself up and practically dragged his feet up the stairs.

Edward offered to take care of the dishes, and I went up to tuck Ryan in. He was sprawled out on his bed, phone in hand. His eyes were barely open as he hit send on the text he was typing.

"I'm too tired to call them," he said, his voice slurring slightly.

"All right. Let's get you under the blankets." I lifted up his covers, and he shuffled underneath.

"Night, Ma," he said sleepily.

I kissed his forehead and told him good night. I was pretty sure he was asleep before I left the room.

Edward was waiting for me on the couch when I came back downstairs. He had one of our favorite shows queued up on the DVR, and his arm lifted for me to snuggle under. I took my place next to him and watched Rizzoli and Isles solve another case. Something else came on after that, but I couldn't have told you what it was. Edward was too distracting.

Before the credits started, his lips were pressed to mine and I was deepening the kiss. One of my hands clutched the back of his neck, and the other roamed the front of his body. I wanted to touch him so badly, but we were exposed with a child in the house. Minutes later, I'd lost all my reasoning powers when his nimble fingers pulled the cup of my bra down and pinched my nipples underneath my shirt. I rubbed his erection through his pants, and he let out a quiet moan into my mouth.

On the next pass of my hand, Edward shot back like he'd been burned. Through heavy breaths, he stood and clicked off the television. "Bedroom, now. You're driving me crazy."

I ran through the house turning off the lights while he locked up, and then he chased me up the stairs and into our room. Neither of us wasted any time getting out of our clothes and under the covers, but we both took our time teasing each other and bringing each other to the brink time and time again.

~SD~

Baseball camp got easier for Ryan as the week went on, and he made several friends his age there. The coach had gotten his point across on the first day, and that kept the kids in line for the rest of the week. Ryan also went to his youth group meeting on Wednesday. Those two things made me more hopeful that Ryan was considering a life here with us.

Friday afternoon arrived before any of realized it. Edward picked Ryan up early so he could have his session with Zafrina and Jacob while Edward picked up his parents from the airport. Despite our reservations, we had invited them to stay with us, and they had accepted. I still wasn't sure how it was going to go, but I figured that I could survive them for two days, and if not, they could get a hotel room and a rental car.

Ryan's session seemed to have gone well, because he was his usual sunny self when he finished, and we hurried back to the house. Edward's car was already in the driveway.

"Bella!" Elizabeth called cheerily when we walked in the door. She hurried over to me and hugged me tightly. "I'm so happy to see you. Thank you for having us. The house looks beautiful."

I tried not to be too stiff. "Thank you. It's good to see you, too." Once she released me, I turned to Ryan. "Ryan, do you remember Grandma Masen?"

He nodded shyly and stepped forward into her hug. "Hi, Grandma," he practically whispered. When she let him go, he scampered back to my side and clung to my hand.

"Where are the men?" I asked her, not seeing Ed or Edward anywhere and worried that there had been bloodshed of some sort.

She rolled her eyes. "You have some kind of tree in the backyard that Ed wanted to take a look at. They're out there . . . inspecting."

I suspected that Ed had wanted a moment with Edward alone and that the tree was a ruse, but what did I know? I'd barely spoken to the man in ten years; he could have developed an avid interest in trees in that time.

"What would you like to do for dinner?" Elizabeth continued as if she didn't find his interest unusual.

Her question caught me off guard and ruffled my feathers a bit. She'd been here all of an hour and I'd just walked in the door, and she wanted to know what _I _was planning to do for dinner? "Since it's such a nice night, I thought we could grill some hamburgers," I replied, forcing a smile onto my face.

"Nonsense," she answered, waving her hand to dismiss my idea. I was so focused on taking a deep breath so I didn't explode on her that I almost missed her next sentence. "Ed and I are taking you out. You shouldn't have to cook for guests when you've just walked in the door. Ryan, what kind of food do you like?"

And just like that, most of my ire evaporated. She wasn't trying to be demanding; she was trying to be considerate. She'd just asked my son what _he _liked instead of making a unilateral decision. _Maybe things had changed,_ I mused.

Ryan shrugged. "I like almost anything. We haven't had Mexican in a while. There's no place good for it in Forks."

"Mexican it is," she said with obvious delight, clapping her hands together. "Let's get your dad and Grandpa in here so we can go. I'll bet you're starving. Your dad always was at your age."

Ryan moved away from me and walked next to her out the back door, asking her questions about what Edward was like at his age. She looked delighted to have his attention. While they were out there, I ran upstairs and changed into some capris and a casual shirt. Business suits didn't go well with authentic Mexican restaurants.

The rest of the family was already in the car by the time I made it downstairs. Edward was waiting for me next to the front door and kissed me deeply in hello. As I walked out to the car, I could see Ryan chattering to his grandparents as if he'd known them all his life. Not for the first time, I was relieved that I had such an easy-going kid.

Dinner was surprisingly pleasant. Ed and Elizabeth were enthralled with their grandson. I mused that it would have been nice if they'd been so interested ten years before, but I knew I had to let go of it for my own sake and Ryan's.

Afterwards, they insisted on going out for ice cream. There was a place over in Pike Place Market that had tables with umbrellas outside. It was a nice enough night that we were able to sit outside and enjoy the view.

It had been a long time since I'd spent an entire evening with Ed and Elizabeth, even longer since there hadn't been a straining tension between us. But even though Edward still wasn't warm with his parents, especially his father, I saw more of the relationship I'd so envied when we were younger.

Later, when Edward and I were alone, he confessed to me that while they were outside, Ed had apologized again and told Edward how proud he was of the man he'd become. He also admitted that he was wrong to think that Edward wouldn't have been able to accomplish whatever he'd set his mind to, even with having a child so young. That had gone a long way toward healing the rift between them. I didn't think it would ever return to how it had been when Edward was young, but we'd both settle for a lack of animosity.

The house was quiet when I woke the next morning, and I thought that everyone was still asleep. I padded my way to the kitchen, intent on making breakfast. When I walked into the room, Elizabeth was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a magazine.

"Come sit with me," she requested sweetly, patting the table in front of the chair next to her. "I've got an egg, ham, and hash brown casserole in the oven."

"Oh." I blinked in shock and pulled the chair out, collapsing into it. "Thank you."

She smiled at me, and the corners of her eyes crinkled. Here, in the harsh light of day with no make-up on, Elizabeth looked older than I'd realized. "I understand that you set a date for the wedding and that you're having it in Forks?" she asked gently.

I gave her all of the details, just noticing that the magazine that she'd been reading was a bridal magazine. She seemed to be truly interested and asked all the right questions. It reminded me of the conversations we used to have around her kitchen table when I was younger, and I felt a little nostalgic.

"What can we help with, Bella?" She held up a hand to stop me when I opened my mouth and shook my head. "No, I know that you are adults, but this is a wedding that we should have been able to pay for years ago, and it's our fault that you spent ten years apart. We want to help."

I gave her a weak smile. "It's a small wedding. There's not a lot _to_ pay for. I don't really see a need for a rehearsal dinner or anything like that."

"Where are you going for your honeymoon?" she asked.

"I have no idea. You'll have to ask Edward. He wanted to plan that part," I answered.

She gave me a sly smile and nodded. I had a feeling she would be talking to him about that.

The rest of the family started to trickle in, and we got breakfast on the table. Ryan decided he wanted to take us all to the zoo and show us what all he'd learned at camp, so that's what we did. Ed and Elizabeth did their best to dote on him without overstepping our authority. It was a surreal feeling.

"I think they're really trying," I whispered to Edward that night as we got ready for bed.

He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "They are. I'm really glad that they want to be a part of his life—our lives—but it's harder than I thought to let go of my anger. It's their fault that we haven't had this all these years."

I ran my hand down his arm, soothing him. "Your mom said something similar this morning. For what it's worth, I think they regret it."

"It doesn't change that it happened, though." He shrugged. "I don't know. I'll deal with it."

He didn't say anymore about it, making it perfectly clear that, for now, the subject was closed.

The next day was a flurry of activity. Edward was planning to take his parents to the airport since his flight left only thirty minutes later than theirs.

"No, I'll drive you. We want to see you off," I insisted when Edward tried to tell me that he was going to leave his car in long term parking. "I'll pick you up next Saturday."

The only hitch in this plan was that Esme and Carlisle would be arriving around the same time to pick Ryan up. I solved this by texting Esme and telling her what our plans were and when we'd be back to the house. That just left loading up the car with five people and all the luggage—it was a tight fit.

Walking through the airport with a soldier was a new experience for me. Adding in Ryan, who was clinging to his father, only increased the smiles and sympathetic looks.

As if they sensed that we needed some time to ourselves, the Masens quickly checked in, checked their bags, and hugged us goodbye.

"We'll be back the Thursday before the wedding, unless you need me sooner," Elizabeth told me. "Please, please call me if you need anything." Her eyes were as pleading as her tone.

"I will," I promised, and I was surprised at how much I actually meant it.

Tears pooled in my eyes as they embraced Ryan and told him how much they loved him. It was what I had always wanted.

They walked through security with a few backward glances, and we waved goodbye.

"Do you have to go?" Ryan asked Edward in an uncharacteristically small voice, pulling my attention away from the Masens.

Edward kneeled down in front of Ryan so their faces were more level. "Yes, buddy. I have to go get some more training. This time, we're doing mountain survival training. I have to sleep outside in the mountains for a week."

"But you'll come back, right?" There was a hint of panic in Ryan's voice.

Edward gathered Ryan to his chest and held him close. "Of course I'm coming back. Why would you think that?" The concern in his voice was very evident.

"I was telling Michael how you are a soldier, and he told me that when soldiers go to war, sometimes they don't come home," Ryan whispered just loud enough that we both could hear him.

"Oh, Ryan." Edward leaned back far enough to look Ryan directly in the eye. "I'm not going to war, buddy. This is just a week of training. I promise. I'll call you as soon as we get back into cell range, okay?"

Ryan nodded and wrapped his arms around Edward's neck. Edward's eyes closed tightly as he hugged his son hard. When Ryan finally let go, Edward stood and pulled me to him.

"I'm going to miss you," he whispered. "I'll call as soon as we're done, okay? Where we'll be, there's not going to be any cell service."

I hadn't realized that in addition to being gone for a week, we wouldn't have any communication, either. I willed myself not to cry and gave him my own tight hug. "I love you," I whispered into his ear. "Please be safe and come home to me in one piece."

I felt him nod against the side of my head. "I will. I love you, too."

And then, he was gone. At least, that's what it felt like to me. Ryan held my hand while we watched Edward walk away from us toward security. He was guided toward a special lane and only looked back as he was walking through the scanner. I was glad he hadn't before, because his expression was so forlorn that I might have insisted on coming with him.

We waited in silence until Edward was out of sight. I hated feeling like my happiness depended on another person; I knew that the only person that could complete me was me. Inside, though, I felt like my heart had just walked away. Ryan squeezed my hand, bringing me back to the busy terminal, and gave me a sad smile.

"Do you miss him when he's gone?" he asked.

I laughed a little. "Yeah, I do. Just like I miss you when you're not around," I told him playfully, trying to lighten the mood a little.

He nodded. "I miss you, too."

Neither of us said anything else for the entire trip home. We both knew that his time in Seattle was over and that from here on out, for the foreseeable future, we'd only have weekends. The heaviness settled over me like a blanket. I wondered if my day could get any worse. I'd gone from having a house full of people and love to being alone for a week.

It could get worse, it seemed, because Carlisle and Esme were waiting in the driveway when we pulled in. I wanted to yell and scream that I wasn't ready yet, but I couldn't do that to Ryan, or the Cullens, who'd been nice enough to give us the extra day.

Ryan jumped from the car as soon as it was parked and ran straight to Carlisle, hugging him fiercely. I couldn't hear what they said to each other because I still hadn't opened my door, but Carlisle was smiling widely and looked happier than I'd ever seen him.

I steeled all of my resolve, tucked my emotions away as I had for so many years, and climbed out of the car. "Hey! You haven't been waiting long, have you?" I called to them.

Esme smiled. "No. Just a few minutes. We were already on our way when you called, so we stopped for some breakfast to kill some time."

"Come on in," I invited, opening the front door.

They followed me in, and Carlisle went with Ryan to get his things from his room. Esme trailed behind me as I went into the kitchen to set my things down.

"Wow. You'd never know you had a houseful of people this weekend," she commented. She was right. There wasn't a dish out of place. Elizabeth must have done some extra straightening while we were getting ready to go.

"I have to say, they were pretty good house guests. They either took us out to eat, or Elizabeth cooked. And apparently, she cleaned up, too." I laughed in disbelief. Not that I wasn't thrilled, but now I didn't even have house cleaning to keep me busy. I'd been kind of counting on that.

"Did Ryan do okay with them?" she asked tentatively, knowing what a sore spot they had been for us.

"Yeah, he really warmed up to them pretty quickly. They adore him, of course. Thank you for giving us the extra day so he could spend some time with them," I said sincerely.

She shrugged and waved it off. "It was no trouble, though we are going to have to get out of here. Carlisle has to cover for someone tonight."

I could hear Ryan and Carlisle tromp into the living room, so Esme and I went toward them. Ryan gave me a big hug and promised to call me. "Love you, Ma," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Ryan. Be good this week, okay? And don't worry about your dad. He'll be fine," I assured him.

Ryan nodded and then left my arms to pick up his backpack.

He walked to the door and waved goodbye. I watched as he climbed in the back seat of their car and drove away. If it was possible to have nothing left of my heart at this point, I was a goner. The last remaining pieces had just driven away.

For the next hour, I stripped the beds, washed the sheets and towels, vacuumed the carpet, and scoured the guest bathroom. Once that was done, however, I wasn't sure what else to do with myself. I was all caught up on work, the house was clean, and I was bored. It occurred to me that this was what my life had been merely a year before, but so much had changed for me that I no longer recognized the girl that was content to be this way. I had no idea what to do with myself.

The doorbell rang before I could get my computer out and lose myself in Facebook games to whittle away the hours. As if she was psychic, Alice stood on the stoop, with Angela behind her, holding a pint of ice cream and a spoon.

"I love you guys," I choked out as I embraced them both.

They both laughed, and we shuffled inside.

Alice gave me a soft smile. "We figured you could use some company. Heaven knows we needed some girl time."

"Thank you. You all are the best!" I said, taking the bag from Alice's shoulder.

Angela followed me into the kitchen, where she unloaded a cooler full of junky snack food—frozen burritos, taquitos, pizza rolls, loaded potato skins, and spinach artichoke dip. She also had two more pints of ice cream, and I grabbed her two spoons.

Alice was waiting for us on the couch with _Steel Magnolias_ queued up on the screen. "What? It's a girl's day in!" she laughed.

So, side by side, drawing strength from each other, the three of us spent the day watching chick flicks and eating junk food. It was the perfect band-aid for the ache in my chest that wouldn't be fully healed until my boys were back with me.

**True facts: Yawns are widely believed to be contagious, though scientists are still unable to determine why or what causes us to do it in the first place. I can't even hear the word without yawning—my friends think it's a great party trick when it gets to be the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say, I appeared to be very tired when writing parts of this chapter.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed. **

**Check out A Broken Hallelujah by VirginiaMay: it's worth the read!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Don't steal. Stealing is bad. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this. All good?**

**A/N: Thank you all for being so patient with me. This chapter did take me almost 6 weeks to write, but I don't think the next one will take nearly as long. In fact, it's already started. I'm aiming for two weeks from now, and hoping for next week. Thank you, JenRar, for turning this around so quickly. On with the show!**

**Chapter 35**

I had forgotten what life was like before Edward came back to me. Now, I was thrust back into a semblance of it, and everything felt off, wrong. I did, however, get to spend some much needed time with Alice, since she was in the same boat I was. Angela even joined us on a couple of nights when Ben was working late.

Ryan called me every night, much like he had done with Esme and Carlisle when he was here. We didn't talk long, but he told me about his days, his friends, and his therapy session with Jacob.

"He's kind of like a big brother," Ryan confessed Thursday night. "He's really cool."

I smiled, though he couldn't see me. "Good! I'm glad you like talking to him. Does it help?"

"Yeah, I guess. I feel like he's just waiting for me to say something, but I don't know what that is." I could picture him shrugging.

"Does that make you feel uncomfortable?" I asked, knowing that if it did, there was no point in him continuing, because he wouldn't be honest about his feelings.

"No. Just . . . is there something I'm supposed to say or do? Am I not doing it right?" he asked.

I laughed. "As long as you're talking and you're honest, you're doing just fine. Jacob's just there to listen to whatever you want to say and to help you if you need it. Ryan, you've handled this whole situation a lot better than many kids would have, and I think Jacob's probably waiting for you to explode." I teased him to lighten the mood.

He made some noise like a bomb exploding and laughed. "Nah. I like having four parents. It means more presents."

And . . . there was the ten-year-old. I chuckled and told him I loved him before he hung up to go to sleep.

By Saturday, Alice and I had made all the wedding arrangements that were left to do, my dress was finished and altered, and the invitations were scheduled to arrive the following week. Everyone that was coming already knew the date, so those were more of a formality than anything. I even scheduled some time off work so we could take a honeymoon, though I had no idea where we would go. In less than a month, I would finally be Mrs. Edward Cullen.

Edward called Saturday night to tell me that he had survived a week in the mountains and to remind me that his flight would be in at one o'clock the following afternoon. More than anything, he was looking forward to the shower he was going to take at the hotel and a real meal, which he was hoping I'd be willing to cook.

On Sunday morning, I wasn't able to sleep in. I got up early and started preparing for Edward's late lunch. I decided on meatloaf, with garlic mashed potatoes and string beans in a garlic butter sauce. Knowing that the meat would take a couple of hours to cook, I put it in so that it would finish about twenty minutes before I had to leave. I figured that it would give the oven enough time to cool sufficiently, so it wouldn't cook the meat further when I put it back in to keep warm.

By the time noon rolled around, I was an anxious mess. I couldn't wait another minute to see him. At the airport, Alice wasn't in much better shape. We were both standing near the arrivals gate, dancing from foot to foot and watching the board to see when their plane landed.

There was no one else in the airport when he finally walked through the gate. At least, I didn't see anyone else. I just ran. When I was only yards away, he dropped his duffel and caught me as I jumped into his arms, kissing me with all the passion and love he possessed.

"God, I missed you," he breathed.

"I missed you, too," I mumbled against him, unwilling to pull away even a fraction of an inch. My heart, which had been absent all week, beat furiously in my chest.

I could have stayed locked in his arms for a week, but the noise of the terminal eventually filled my ears. Unwillingly, we pulled apart.

He took my hand in his and smiled at me. "Take me home, pretty girl?" he teased.

I grinned back and tugged him toward the car. On the drive home, I was thinking that lunch would stay warm a little longer. I wasn't sure I could wait to have him again. Then, of course, we walked in the door and Edward smelled the food.

"Oh, God," he practically moaned. "That smells so good. I'm so hungry."

I rolled my eyes at my luck and began pulling the various pieces of the meal together. "What? Those MREs didn't do it for you?"

He scoffed. "If only. By Wednesday, I was wishing we had them. It was survival training. I've spent the last week eating wild rabbit, grass, and acorns."

If I thought he was joking, that notion was quickly dispelled by his ravenous expression. Wordlessly, I passed him a plate loaded with food and sat down next to him with my own. Edward had always eaten well, but I'd never seen him inhale food like this.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" I asked, somewhat wary because I didn't know if he would growl at being asked to stop eating.

He wiped his mouth, took a drink, and then swallowed before speaking. "They took us to a remote location with basic supplies, as if we were on a recon fly-over, and land the chopper. The scenario they gave us was that the chopper crashed and we had to survive in hostile territory until a retrieval unit could be sent out." Between bites, he went on to explain how they'd found shelter, avoided detection by enemy troops, and scavenged for food. It sounded like hell on Earth to me, and I wasn't a girly girl opposed to getting out in nature.

"Were you alone the whole time?" I asked. His explanation had made it sound like he'd done most of the work by himself.

He shook his head while he swallowed again. "No, we worked together, but we couldn't stay too close to each other because large groups are easier to detect." He laughed at some thought. "Just be glad we showered before we got on the plane. If we hadn't, they would have thrown us out about 10,000 feet."

I laughed, imagining the looks his fellow passengers would have given him, but it was stifled when he yawned. "Didn't you get any sleep last night?" I asked. They'd stayed in a hotel, after all.

He shook his head and yawned again. "No, they let us get cleaned up, and then we had to debrief. At least they fed us while they talked."

"Why don't you take a nap?" I suggested. I tried hard to keep the disappointment out of my voice. I knew he was exhausted, but I was _so_ tired of being by myself.

Edward gave me a sly, suggestive smile. "Come with me?"

He didn't need to ask me twice. I tossed our plates into the dishwasher and took his hand. When we got to the bedroom, I went into the bathroom and stripped. I'd worn a matching dark blue bra and panty set on purpose. It hadn't been more than two minutes when I opened the door.

Edward was passed out on the bed. He hadn't even made it under the covers. I smiled, slightly disappointed, and grabbed the blanket we kept at the end of the bed. I laid down next to him and pulled the blanket over us.

I woke up hours later. Edward was snoring lightly in my ears. Now that I was wide awake, I inched out of the arms that had encircled me at some point and made my way back downstairs. The files that I'd brought home with me for the weekend still sat untouched in my bag, and I figured that I could knock them out of the way while Edward slept.

My patients drew me in, and I lost track of time as I re-read my notes and thought about different approaches to use with each of them. It was dark by the time I closed the last file. Edward was still in bed, asleep, so I made myself a bowl of cereal, read for a bit, and then joined him back under the covers.

If I had known that those were the last peaceful moments we were going to have for weeks, I might have insisted that he wake up and at least sit with me on the couch. I might have savored them a little more.

All hell broke loose almost as soon as we woke up on Monday morning. At seven forty-five, Edward's phone rang with a D.C. number. Thinking it was Tanya calling from work with information on the interview, he answered it while chewing on his toast.

I watched as his eyes grew wide and his toast got stuck in his throat. He coughed hard and sprayed the bits of it all over the table. I was about to protest when I heard him say, "Yes, sir. At oh-nine hundred . . . thank you, sir."

He hung up abruptly and immediately dialed the phone again without a word to me. "Get your ass up and in uniform," Edward barked. "General Jacoby is going to be at the office at oh-nine hundred to read us in on a classified op." He paused. "No idea. I haven't been by since we got back. I just hope to God that Ben didn't wreck it. I'm heading there now."

I left the mess on the table and followed him to the bedroom. "What just happened?" I asked, bewildered.

Edward spun on his heel and looked at me. His eyes were slightly wild, and he looked completely at a loss. "The Vice Chief of Staff just called me to tell me that he's sending General Jacoby to our office to brief us on an operation."

"Okay," I answered, dragging the word out slightly. "Who is General Jacoby?"

Edward continued to talk as he hurriedly dressed. "He's the head of NORAD—North American Aerospace Defense Command. Along with Canada, they protect the North American aerospace and maritime borders."

"What does that mean?" I asked, an uncertain panic welling up inside me.

"I don't know," he answered. His voice was laced with tension, too. "Whatever it is, it's domestic, or Jacoby wouldn't be involved. I'll call you later when I get an idea of what's going on." He kissed me quickly and practically ran out the door.

There wasn't time for me to try to make sense of it; I had fourteen minutes to get out the door myself.

When I got to the office, I walked into pandemonium. Two of Zafrina's patients were screaming at each other so loudly that their words were clearly audible in the waiting room. One of my kids was cowering in the corner with her hands over her ears, her social anxiety disorder rearing its ugly head in the face of discord.

Zafrina finally got the couple calmed down, and the office quieted significantly. Unfortunately, my patient wasn't so easily placated, and her session ran over by almost an hour. I spent the rest of the day scrambling to catch up with patients that were almost as tense as my first one had been. Though I didn't have time to check, I was sure that it had to be the full moon—lunacy was rampant.

The day had been so crazy that I didn't even realize that Edward hadn't called until I got home and was pondering what to make for dinner. I checked my phone twice, sure that I had to have missed something, but there were no missed calls, messages, or texts. I threw together some chicken, rice, and green beans and then sat down to eat alone.

Edward finally dragged through the door as I was getting ready to go to bed. He looked more weary than I'd seen him in a long time. Before I could say anything, he held up his hand to stop me.

"I'm sorry that I didn't call. I couldn't. This . . . this . . . thing . . . is huge. They had to give Jasper and me top clearance for it, and if I tell you anything, it's basically treason. I knew that if I talked to you, I'd want to tell you, and I've spent the whole ride home trying to figure out what I can tell you so that you can make me stop if I try," he rambled.

"What'll happen if you tell me?" I asked, curious. It wasn't like I was the enemy or anything. Besides, who was I going to tell?

He looked me dead in the eye and said without hesitation, "I could either be thrown in prison for life or executed."

I felt the blood rush out of my face and my mouth fall open. He wasn't kidding. I shook my head. "Don't tell me anything. Just . . . can you let me know if you'll be home for dinner next time?"

He let out a tired laugh and cracked half a smile. "Yeah, I can do that." He walked toward me and wrapped me in his arms. I could hear his heart beating fast beneath my ear and I wondered it if was being here with me or his day that had him so worked up. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I love you. I'll try to do better tomorrow."

He did do better the next day, but only just. I got a text as I pulled in the driveway that he wouldn't be home for supper. Actually, he never made it home at all, as far as I knew. And so it went right up through the week leading up to our wedding.

Alice and Esme had kept me busy planning and finalizing details. Because Edward was working, we didn't make it to Forks for our weekend. Esme and Carlisle surprised me, though, by coming to Seattle with Ryan. He certainly didn't mind doing the final tastings on the cake I'd picked out, but Edward's absence was notable.

I started to worry that he wouldn't be able to get away for the wedding. The closer it got, the more it began to look like a real possibility.

"Are you going to be able to be there next weekend?" I asked one night as he tried to slip into the bathroom without waking me when he got home extremely late again.

He startled, not expecting to hear my voice.

"I promise that I will be waiting at the altar when you walk down the aisle," he vowed, coming to sit next to me on the bed. "Invading hordes of . . . people couldn't keep me away."

"We aren't going to be able to take a week away for our honeymoon, are we?" I said, knowing that it wasn't really a question.

He shook his head sadly. "No. I've got through Monday off, but that's it. And Tanya left me a message today that they are going to air the interview on Sunday. I don't know if you want to be in Forks with Ryan and the Cullens for it or here . . ."

"In Forks," I whispered. "Should we postpone it? The wedding, I mean."

"Fuck, no," Edward answered vehemently. "We can postpone the honeymoon, but I've waited long enough to make you my wife. I'll be damned if I'm going to let that go any longer."

I giggled, and he kissed my head. "Go to sleep. I'll be right back."

I fell asleep before he crawled into bed.

~SD~

On Thursday before the wedding, I drove to Port Angeles with Alice and Angela. We met Rose for dinner and drinks—a pseudo bachelorette party. It wasn't a wild and crazy night; I wasn't that kind of person. But it was nice to spend time with the girls and think about fun. I refused to imagine that Edward wouldn't be waiting for me on Saturday as promised. Instead, I reveled in the raunchy lingerie and slightly taboo gifts that they bestowed on me and giggled as we toured Port Angeles' one and only adult bookstore. I picked up a few items that looked interesting, much to the amusement of my friends. I just shrugged and grinned at them. Even though Edward and I were not going to be able to get away for a weeklong honeymoon, we would have the weekend . . . and the rest of our lives. Besides, the small amount of ribbing that I got from them would be totally worth it to see the look on my new husband's face.

Alice had insisted that we stay in Port Angeles for the night, so we all piled around Rose's living room on couches and chairs. Of course, the festivities didn't stop once we got back there. The girls had planned a late night of classic chick flicks—_Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes_—to celebrate my "last night as a free woman."

I didn't remember falling asleep, but I woke the next morning with a crick in my neck and Alice laying partially on top of me. The main screen _for Steel Magnolias_ was still scrolling on the TV, and dim light filtered through the gauzy curtains.

Knowing that it wasn't going to wake Alice, I lifted her head slightly and shoved a pillow underneath it so I could dash to the bathroom. My mouth tasted like bitter mash, and I had to pee. Once I'd retrieved my toiletries and freshened up, I wandered into the kitchen in search of coffee. Rose was already up and nursing her own cup.

"She has more plans for us today; you know that, right?" Rose's voice was scratchy and strained.

I groaned and flopped into a kitchen chair. "I don't want to do anything else. I wanna go back to sleep," I whined.

"Shut up and stop your bitching," Alice groused as she ran a hand through her sleep-rumpled hair. "I promise you won't complain when we get there."

"Is there alcohol?" Angela piped up from behind her. "Because if there is, I'm gonna have to pass." She did look a little green.

Alice rolled her eyes and practically inhaled her coffee. "We have forty-five minutes to get there, girls. No need to get all prettied up. Just put some clothes on."

I looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. Alice never went anywhere looking less than her best. The very idea was laughable. She, however, wasn't paying any attention to the rest of us. She busied herself with her second cup of coffee and then strolled out of the kitchen as if we weren't there.

Angela, Rose, and I stared at each other and shook our heads, opting to get ready instead of trying to fight her, especially since we knew we wouldn't win. My act of rebellion, however, was to follow Alice's instructions to the letter. I dug through my bag and found an old pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt to wear. Once I was dressed, I put my hair up into a slightly messy ponytail and forewent my make-up. I grinned at my reflection—it would drive Alice nuts to go anywhere with me like this.

Or so I thought. I came out of Rose's bathroom to find Alice sipping on her coffee, wearing her own yoga outfit. Hers was much more stylish than mine, but it was still much more casual than I ever saw Alice anywhere but the gym. The other two girls shot me disbelieving looks as they walked up, but all I could do was shrug. I followed Alice to her car and contented myself with the knowledge that my best friend would never make me do anything the day before my wedding that she knew I'd hate . . . and she knew me better than almost anyone.

"Alice, what are we doing here?" I asked as we pulled into the mostly barren parking lot of Port Angeles' swankiest salon—and that wasn't saying much. There was a dim light inside, but otherwise, it was closed. "This place isn't open at—" I checked the time on my phone "—eight forty-nine in the morning."

She shot me a smug smile. "They are today. Well, they are today for us," she amended. "Let's go, ladies. Chop, chop. We've got relaxing to do!"

It was the perfect distraction. Alice had gotten them to open early for us so that we could all get our facials, manis, and pedis together. I even got a massage, something I hadn't done in a long time. The shop kept us supplied with water and fresh fruit, even after the doors opened and the regular patrons began filing in.

By lunchtime, I was feeling refreshed. I'd been able to shower in the spa and have my hair done by someone other than myself. My toes were a pale pink, and my fingers had a lovely French manicure. The girls appeared to be equally pleased with their selections.

"Alice, thank you," I said sincerely as we walked out of the building. "This was a lovely surprise."

She hugged me tightly and gave me an almost watery smile. "You've waited so long for this, B. I just wanted this weekend to be special for you."

"It is. You all are here with me, and tomorrow, Edward and I are finally going to get married," I replied with a smile. My answer was met with squeals and uncharacteristic giggles as we all made our way back to the car.

Alice had even made us reservations for lunch at a small, out-of-the-way bistro. Knowing that the Masens were planning a big dinner later, I thought the soup and sandwich combos were the perfect meal. Well, it was perfect until I heard the chimes of text messages ringing in on both Rose's and Alice's phones. The frowns they exchanged after reading the messages didn't quell my rising anxiety any.

"Who was it?" I asked, endeavoring to remind myself that it could have been anything—another surprise that wasn't panning out or a simple problem with flowers. It wasn't working.

Rose appeared to be trying to work out how to say whatever she needed to, but she looked pained all the same. "It was Emmett. He's up in Seattle. It was his job to make sure Edward and Jasper got here on time."

My heart sank, and I fought back the tears. We just couldn't catch a break. "He's not going to make it, is he?"

"Oh, Bella," Alice whispered, her own voice thick. "Don't think like that. Just because they couldn't leave when they'd planned to doesn't mean that he'll miss it."

I stared at my half-eaten sandwich, my appetite gone. Setting my napkin beside my plate, I scooted my chair away from the table and stood. "Finish your food. I'm going outside for some fresh air."

I just needed to be alone for a minute while my emotions warred between anger and despair. He'd promised that he wouldn't miss our wedding, and he hadn't even had the guts to call and tell me himself. He made his friends _text_ mine to break the news. Who did that?

The restaurant had a concrete lip around the window just wide enough for me to rest on. It wasn't overly comfortable, but it was cold, and that helped center me a bit. Logically, I knew that whatever he was doing had to be important if it would keep him away from our wedding, but the lost little girl inside of me felt abandoned all over again.

"Come on, Bella," Angela said, startling me from my reverie. "Let's get back to Forks and see what still needs to be done for tomorrow."

I scoffed and wiped the traitorous tears from my cheeks. "Nothing. Nothing needs to be done for tomorrow. Didn't you hear? The groom isn't coming." Damn, I sounded bitter.

Angela cocked her head to the side. "No, I didn't hear that. I only heard that they were running late. Now, get up and get in the car."

For all the confidence that Angela projected, she'd already called her dad and explained the situation. He insisted that we needed to run through the ceremony, even if Edward didn't make it in for the rehearsal. If it hadn't been for his "mini me" standing next to me, I wasn't sure that I could have made it through. Ryan, however, thought that standing in for his dad was "so cool."

I had pulled Pastor Weber aside before the ceremony and requested that we not run through the special parts that Edward and I had put in to include Ryan. We wanted those to be a surprise, and I wasn't about to change that with him not present. He played it off by saying that there was a special song in that spot.

As the hours crept by, I could see more and more of our family checking their watches. Ed and Elizabeth had rented out the large party room at the lodge for the rehearsal dinner but turned it into a gathering of family and friends in an effort to draw attention away from the fact that Edward still wasn't present. In fact, I hadn't heard from him all day.

I could tell each time Rose or Alice got a text from their other halves. The sad smiles and looks of pity were hard to ignore. Each time, I had to rein in my emotions and put on a smile for our guests. Ryan didn't wander far from my side, for which I was grateful. Only my son could take away the sting of Edward missing our wedding rehearsal.

"We need to get you home and into bed," my mother told me. "You have a big day tomorrow." She held out her hand to help me up from my seat behind the main table, where I was sitting alone. Most of our guests either lived in town and had already gone home or were staying at the Lodge and were using the room as a place to gather.

I said good night to everyone and got back in the car with Alice. She was staying with me at Dad's for what was supposed to be my last night as a single woman. We didn't speak much as we got ready for bed. After the night before, we were both fairly tired.

I had just slipped under the covers when my phone rang. Finally, after more than a day of silence, Edward was calling.

"Hey," I said as I answered, trying to keep my aggravation out of my voice, but I couldn't hold back the sob and gasp at his next words.

"_Oh, baby, I'm so sorry."_

**I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think if you are so inclined. **


	36. Chapter 36

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this. Neither is public domain as I'm fairly sure that we're both still alive. **

**A/N: You all have been so incredibly patient with me and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. For the next month and half, my RL schedule should be a little better which will leave me awake and with more writing time. I've already started on the next chapter. I'll do my very best to keep the wait shorter. **

**JenRar—you are a fabulous beta and I appreciate you and your red pen! I'm sure my readers do, too. **

**Chapter 36**

"_Oh, baby, I'm so sorry."_

I sank to the bed at the sound of his remorseful voice and could barely manage a whisper in my own. "You promised, Edward. You promised me that you would be here."

Alice looked at me in alarm.

He sighed. _"I'm doing my best, Bella. I couldn't leave today. Hell, this is the first time I've been in cell range."_

Unexpectedly, anger poured through me as I felt the twinge of hopelessness from earlier return. "Well, your best isn't good enough," I snapped. "I asked you last week if we needed to postpone this wedding, and you promised me, _promised _me, that you would be here. That nothing would keep you away. Now, you're telling me that you aren't going to be here, that you're leaving me before our wedding _again_?"

I heard the sharp intake of breath and listened to silence on the other end of the line. It seemed to stretch on forever, but in reality, I knew it hadn't been more than fifteen seconds because I was staring absently at the old wind-up alarm clock on my nightstand.

"_I'm going to pretend that you didn't just say that, because I know that you're upset,"_ he answered in a forced calm voice. _"I promised you that I would be there for our wedding, and I will be. I'm sorry that I missed the rehearsal and that I wasn't able to tell you myself. I spent the entire day in the air and had to radio back to Jasper to get word to you. He was supposed to tell you this when he called you. I wish to God that I could tell you what's kept me away, but our lives together, our future, are more important to me than that. You're just going to have to trust me, Bella."_

"I never talked to Jasper," I answered snidely. "He and Emmett were sending text messages to Alice and Rosalie. I didn't even get that much."

"_Son of a bitch!" _he swore. _"I specifically asked him to call you and let you know that we got delayed but to reassure you that I would make it there in time for the wedding."_

"I . . . wait, what? I thought you were telling me that you weren't going to be here tomorrow." A seed of hope took root in my heart and started to dispel the gloom.

Edward chuckled, but the sound wasn't particularly happy. _"Did you really think I was going to miss it?"_

"I thought that's why you were apologizing. I mean, I haven't heard from you all day, your friends have been texting mine, and you completely missed our rehearsal dinner without a single word to me. Why would I assume that you would be here?" I answered.

"_Because I promised you that I would be,"_ he said sadly. _"Even if I have to take the Apache and fly there, I will be standing at that altar at two o'clock, waiting for you. I love you, Bella. Now, get some sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow."_

"I love you, too," I whispered through the tears leaking from my eyes. "Get some rest yourself. We've got big plans tomorrow."

Edward's laugh was real and hearty. "_You have no idea what kind of plans I have for you tomorrow. I love you, and I promise that I will be waiting for you at the altar."_

With a renewed spirit, I wished him a good night and hung up. Alice had left the room at some point to give us some privacy, and she peeked her head around the door.

"Is it safe to come back in?" Alice gave me a small smile.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's safe. We talked it out. He said that he was out of range all day and couldn't call but that he promised to be here tomorrow. I don't know why Jasper couldn't just call and tell me that instead of letting me think that Edward was going to be a no show." I groaned. "Men. They're just so frustrating. Why do we keep them around?"

"Because they have penises, and the manufactured substitutes are only so good," Alice responded matter-of-factly.

I broke into giggles at her straight face, and her façade crumbled. We collapsed onto the bed, laughing, as the tension of the day flooded away.

"I'm sorry, Bella, if I had known that Edward was still swearing that he would be here and that Jasper was supposed to call you directly, today would have gone a lot differently. Instead, the jackass kept sending me texts that said things like, 'Ed's out of range, don't know when he'll be back,' and 'We can't leave. Can't find Edward,' and 'There's no way we're going to make it there, Alice.'"

I chuckled darkly at the sheer stupidity.

She rolled her eyes and continued. "Emmett's weren't any better. 'There's some serious shit going on,' 'They've stuck me in a little room without windows, and the guy in a suit told me that we weren't leaving anytime soon.' Oh, and, 'Jasper just came in and said that Edward wasn't coming back.' Do you have any idea how much I didn't want to tell you about that one? Rose called him and bitched him out for making her think Edward was dead."

In hindsight, I was glad I hadn't asked. I was pretty sure that hearing those messages would have sent me into an utter meltdown. With the benefit of knowing that Edward was safe, I could see the humor in it. I was also sure that Rose, in her wrath, was a sight to behold, and I almost wished I hadn't missed it. Almost.

I sighed and relaxed into the bed. With any luck, at this time tomorrow, I'd be tucked in my husband's arms. I just had to trust him.

It took some effort and willpower, but I hoisted myself off the bed and stared at Alice, who didn't look inclined to move. "Get your jammies on, woman. I'm going to bed. There's a wedding tomorrow, and I'm going to look damn good for it."

"That's the spirit," she said softly, getting up to join me in getting ready to go to sleep. It wasn't long before we were under the covers in my full size, childhood bed. For a moment, I worried that the excitement would keep me awake, but the late hours the night before and the stress of the day had worn me down. I was out within minutes.

~SD~

Sunlight streamed through the curtains the next morning, the sky a clear, cloudless blue. I sat up, yawning, and stretched. It had been so long since I'd really been able to sleep in, and I luxuriated in the feel of waking naturally for just a moment.

That moment was all I got, though. As I stretched, my eyes fell on the alarm clock, and I yelped, waking Alice up in the process.

"What is your problem?" Alice grumbled as I jumped out of bed and began dashing around the room.

"My problem?" I screeched. "It's ten fucking o'clock, Alice. We overslept!"

"Shit!" she screamed, instantly alert. "Oh God. Uh, we were supposed to meet everyone at the salon fifteen minutes ago. How quickly can you shower?"

"Give me five minutes." Since I didn't have to wash my hair and I'd been waxed and plucked the day before, I figured I could clean my body off in that amount of time. Sure enough, I managed it, but only just.

Alice was dressed and holding out one of Charlie's plaid shirts for me. At my grimace, she rolled her eyes and said, "Come on. We don't have time to waste. You didn't bring a button down shirt with you, and you can't pull a shirt over your head once your hair is done. You'll just have to be a fashion tragedy for a couple of hours."

As we thundered down the stairs, I saw Charlie check his watch and raise his eyebrows. He wisely didn't say anything, but I could see his mustache twitching.

Forks only had one salon. It was a good thing that we had opted to stay closer to home instead of driving back to Port Angeles. Esme was pacing in front of the salon, watching both ends of the street when we pulled into the parking lot.

"Oh, thank God. I was so worried. What happened?" she cried.

I sighed as I pulled open the door. "The alarm didn't go off. We just woke up."

Rose and Elizabeth were already in the chairs. My mom was thumbing through a style book and listening to gossip.

"I hope you don't mind that we got started without you. I figured you would be here sooner or later," Rose said with a smirk. "I heard you were up late on the phone."

I laughed lightly. "It wasn't that late. Edward finally called."

Mom's head snapped up at that bit of news.

Rose laughed loudly. "Yeah, I know. When I talked to Emmett last night, Edward was yelling at Jasper for not calling you."

Mom snorted loudly. "That's rich. Isn't Edward the one that should have been calling you?"

"Mom," I warned.

Both hairdressers were listening intently, and I knew that whatever was said here would be the latest gossip around town by noon. Not the ideal situation when reporters would be swarming again after the interview broadcast.

"What?" she cried. "I'm just saying that he can be mad at Jasper all he wants, but it doesn't change the fact that he didn't show up for your rehearsal and _he_ didn't call you."

I sighed and briefly closed my eyes before staring straight at her. "First, that's my concern. Second, he asked Jasper to call because he wasn't able to . . . and third, this is my wedding day. It's supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I don't need the attitude spoiling it."

Elizabeth tried to hide her proud grin, but she didn't turn her head fast enough to conceal it entirely. I didn't often stand up to my mom, but I was feeling a little stressed.

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry," Mom agreed, though her voice was tight.

Silence descended over the shop for a moment, but Rose launched into some new juicy bit of gossip and lightened the mood.

The two ladies in the shop worked fast. They had us all done and out the door before noon, which left us just enough time to get our clothes and get back to the church. Esme had a picnic basket full of light sandwiches, carrots for us to munch on, and plenty of bottled of water to drink while we finished getting ready.

Our photographer flitted around us, taking pictures of us as we worked, rarely intruding or posing. Occasionally, he would ask my mother or one of the girls to step up next to me and watch until he could capture us in action. Then, he ushered us into the sanctuary to get some shots in the church before the wedding.

Weeks before, Edward and I had talked about whether or not to see each other for pictures before the wedding. Tradition held that it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride; practicality insisted that waiting until after would delay our arrival at our reception and keep our guests waiting even longer.

"_It doesn't matter,"_ Edward said. _"The only bad luck that ever came from the groom seeing the bride before the wedding was that he'd realize she wasn't what he'd been promised when he agreed to the marriage sight unseen."_

He snorted and then continued, _"I know who I'm marrying, who I've waited almost half my life to make my wife. It won't matter if I see you while we take pictures or when you walk down the aisle, I'll still think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."_

We'd decided to err on the side of practicality after I finished swooning.

In the end, it didn't matter what we'd decided. An hour before the wedding, and Edward wasn't here. I pushed back my rising panic and smiled for each shot: me alone, me with the bridesmaids, me with Mom, me with both parents, me with Ryan . . . they were endless.

With twenty-five minutes left until the start of the ceremony, Mom bundled me out of the sanctuary and back into the bride's room. Alice caught the flicker of worry that crossed my face and pulled me to the back of the room.

"He promised, Bella. He'll be here. He'd move Heaven and Earth if he had to, and I haven't felt it shake," she said quietly but insistently.

I sucked in a shaky breath but nodded, willing myself to believe her words. "But what if—" I started.

"No." She cut me off. "No what ifs."

I nodded and gathered my flowers as it was time to line up at the doors. All of the guests were inside, and the introductory music was filtering out. I smiled, pretending to feel confident, the panic was welling up inside me.

Dad stood next to me, my hand looped through his elbow, and patted my hand. "I had my speech all prepared, have had it for years. I was going to sit here and tell you that you didn't have to do this, that we could leave out the back doors and be gone before anyone noticed we were missing."

I glared at him, and he chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to do it, Bells. I am going to tell you how much I love you and how proud I am of the woman that you've become."

Tears started to fill my eyes, and I blinked them back. "I love you, Daddy," I whispered.

"Love you, too, Bella," he said in return as the doors opened for us to enter.

My eyes searched past the crowd as we walked slowly up the aisle. On the left, I could see Alice and Rose holding their bouquets and smiling, but there was no one directly on Pastor Weber's right. For one instant, doubt flooded my heart. It lurched in my chest, and only my father's steady footfalls kept me from bolting.

Then, Ed Masen shifted. Now, more than halfway up the aisle, I could see the whole altar area . . . including Edward in his full dress uniform.

His expression was a cross between nerves and awe as he looked at me. I could feel the grin stretch across my face, and he followed suit. By the time Dad and I made it to the altar, we must have looked like a couple of lovestruck fools.

"You made it," I breathed, happiness and relief warring within me for dominance.

"I told you I would," he chuckled, but I could see the tension in his eyes and knew that it had been a close thing.

"I love you," I told him.

"And I love you," he returned.

In that moment, we were the only two in the building and it was only the clearing of my father's throat next to me that snapped us out of our haze.

Pastor Weber chuckled, cleared his throat, and continued where he'd apparently left off. "And who gives this woman to this man?"

"Her mother and I," my dad answered, his voice more gruff than normal. He placed my hand in Edward's and stepped back to the front pew next to my mother and Phil.

Pastor Weber said a short prayer and fell silent while the pianist played a short song. Ryan walked to the podium and cleared his throat into the mike as the last chord echoed around the sanctuary. Listening to our son recite Corinthians lessons on love to us as we held hands at the altar brought tears to my eyes. When he finished, he grinned at us and said, "Thanks for loving each other, Ma and Dad."

Soft laughter rang out, and he ducked his head before walking down from the podium and taking his seat back.

"I charge you both, as you stand in God's presence, to remember that love and loyalty alone will serve as the foundations of a happy and enduring home. If the solemn vows which you are about to make are kept permanently, and if you steadfastly seek to do the will of your Heavenly Father, your life will be full of peace and joy, and the home which you are establishing will abide through every change." Pastor Weber looked at each of us as he spoke.

"Edward and Isabella, having heard these words of instruction and admonition concerning love and marriage, do you now consent to be faithful to the obligations of this sacred relationship as long as you both shall live?"

Edward squeezed my hand and looked into my eyes as he said in the clearest voice, "I do."

"I do," I practically whispered, completely overcome with the emotion of the moment.

Pastor Weber instructed us to face each other. I grasped Edward's other hand and took a deep breath. Pastor Weber indicated to Edward that it was his turn, and Edward swallowed hard.

"I love you, Isabella, as I love no other. All that I am, I share with you. I take you to be my wife through health and sickness, through plenty and want, through joy and sorrow, now and forever," Edward vowed.

Then, it was my turn, and I spoke the words that would tie me to Edward legally like I already was in my heart. "I love you, Edward, as I love no other. All that I am, I share with you. I take you to be my husband through health and sickness, through plenty and want, through joy and sorrow, now and forever."

"May I have the rings that you have chosen?" Pastor Weber asked.

Edward turned to Jasper, and I turned to Alice. She slid Edward's ring off her thumb, where she'd been carrying it, and handed it to me. I dropped it next to my ring in the pastor's palm.

He held up the rings and prayed, "The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. Father, bless these rings which Edward and Isabella have set apart to be visible signs of the inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now, as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you, Edward, may place a ring on the finger of your bride." 

Edward held up my left hand and slid the platinum band on my finger. "Isabella, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you." He looked almost giddy.

Pastor Weber turned to me. "By the same token, Isabella, you may place a ring on the finger of your groom."

"Edward, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you." I slipped the ring on his left ring finger and then twined our fingers together.

"Ryan, will you join your parents at the altar, please?" the pastor requested.

Edward and I each retrieved half of our gift to Ryan from Jasper and Alice. Ryan, somewhat confused, came and stood between us.

Since being awarded custody and having our rights restored, Edward and I had talked at length about Ryan's name, both with each other and with the Cullens. I'd also gotten Zafrina's and Jacob's opinions. In the end, we agreed that names were a huge part of a person's identity, and that it would only be fair to let Ryan decide what his would be. Even so, Edward and I wanted to incorporate Ryan into our ceremony and make our family's heritage a part of that.

"Ryan, as our son, you are a huge part of our life and an integral part of our family," Edward began. "Both the Swan and Masen family heritage lives on in you, and as a symbol of that, we give you this."

I presented Ryan with a thick leather wrist cuff stamped with both the Swan and Masen family crests.

Ryan took it, his hands trembling slightly, and looked it over with an awestruck expression. "Wow," he whispered. "This is so cool."

I pointed to the two different crests, one with three swans on the shield and the other with a standing lion. We'd also had the traditional family mottos added underneath: _Fidelitas_ for the Swans—fidelity; and _Dum spiro spero_ for the Masens—while I have breath, I have hope. For us, with our history, those had so much meaning.

"Thank you," Ryan whispered, hugging each of us.

"We aren't done," I laughed through the happy tears gathering in my eyes. "You know that duty is very important to your father—as important as his family and more important than his life. As his family, it is our duty to support him and be his strength as he ensures our freedom and safety. As a reminder of our duty, we give you these."

Edward held up a standard issue ball chain with two dog tags, the edges covered in black rubber. He had gotten Masen Cullen, Ryan P. stamped on it with the rest of his vital information. Ryan swallowed visibly and bowed his head so that his father could put the chain around his neck. They embraced again, and then Ryan kissed my cheek and went to sit back down in a daze, his focus alternating between us, his cuff, and his tags.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. We lit the unity candle with two tapers that our mothers had lit when they came in, and Pastor Weber said a prayer. Then, the words that I had waited to hear for more than ten years . . .

"Now that Edward and Isabella have given themselves to each other by the promises they have exchanged, I pronounce them to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Edward, you may kiss your bride."

The words were barely out of Pastor Weber's mouth when Edward's grinning lips met mine. In all of the kisses we'd ever shared, there had never been one more full of happiness, love, promise, and passion than our first as husband and wife.

Only Pastor Weber's next words could have stopped us. We faced the congregation, both of us grinning like fools, as he said, "It is now my privilege to introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Isabella Masen."

**Parts of the marriage ceremony were taken from about . com and The Wedding Notebook. This was so incredibly hard for me to write, not least because I hate weddings. Like . . . really hate them. I've already started trying to convince my 9 year old daughter to go to island somewhere in the Caribbean (I've promised that I'll go with her!). My husband and I did wedding photography for a couple of years with my in-laws and I think we've seen almost everything. So, I hope you enjoyed. You didn't really think I was going to put them through more, right?**

**While you are waiting for me to get my butt in gear, go read the following stories:**

**Hydraulic No. 5 by Gondolier—it's finally complete and is one of my favorite fics. In fact, I loved it so much that after a year and a half waiting for the update, it was still a drop everything to read. **

**My Biggest Mistake, My Greatest Salvation by LyricalKris—actually, go read everything by LyricalKris. You won't regret it. **


	37. Chapter 37

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this. Please do not use without permission. **

**A/N: ::Peeks out from behind the screen:: Is anyone still there? I am so sorry that this has taken so long. I wish I had a good excuse other than not really knowing where to go with it. Now, though, I think I've got my flow back (crossing my fingers . . . and toes). Thank you so much for being patient with me and checking in without hounding me. I appreciate that more than you can imagine. Thanks also to Jenny Cullen for betaing this so quickly when I asked. **

**I'm going to stop now. Please read below. **

**Chapter 37**

After forty-five minutes of pictures, I was more than ready to get back to the Cullens' house and to the rest of our family and friends. Mom had insisted on so many pictures that I'd completely lost track. It was a good thing that the photographer's camera was digital because I didn't want to imagine how much film he would have wasted.

Esme had outdone herself. White swaths of fabric and white bows were draped along the tree branches, creating a clear pathway up the drive and into the backyard. In the natural shadows, I could see the twinkling of tiny Christmas lights embedded in the material and in the dark green leaves.

The backyard was gorgeous in its simplicity. Round tables covered in white table cloths and dark red satin ribbon surrounded a dance floor, and the long banquet tables sat underneath a tent along the back of the house.

Most of our guests milled around the bar as they awaited our arrival, and more than one looked relieved when the DJ switched off the music and called for everyone's attention. "May I have your attention for a moment, please? It is my great honor to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Edward Masen."

As we stepped around the corner of the house and onto the dance floor, we could hear the cat calls and hollers of our friends. I flushed but maintained my composure until Emmett's voice rose above the rest.

"It's about damn time, too!"

Rose smacked him on the back of the head as both Edward and I laughed. He was right, after all. It was about time.

We went through the stereotypical reception things: first dance, toasts, cake. As wonderful as it was, though, every time I looked at Edward, all I wanted to do was get him alone. Things had been so off-kilter through the summer, but especially these last few weeks, that I felt like we hadn't had any time just for the two of us. Tonight, I was determined to make up for that lost time. And by the look in his eyes, I had a feeling that Edward felt the same way.

Ryan laughed with our families, and he'd charmed my mother by the end of the night. It wasn't hard for him, after all—he was pretty loveable.

"Are you ready to go?" Edward whispered into my ear as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I was standing on the edge of the dance floor, swaying slightly as I watched Rose and Alice dance to some pop song I'd never heard.

"Mmm-hmm," I hummed, nuzzling into his neck. "Where are we going?" Edward had refused to tell me where he'd settled on for our one-night honeymoon.

I felt him smirk against the top of my head. "Nope. You'll see when we get there. Personally, I'd like to get there sooner rather than later. In fact, I've already got your suitcase in the car."

His huskily-spoken words sent a thrill through me, and I could feel the neglected parts of me come back alive. I was pretty sure that I hadn't moved that fast in a very long time—not even when I'd been late getting up in that morning.

I hugged my mother and Phil and thanked them both for coming.

Dad hugged me tightly and then shook Edward's hand. "Take good care of my little girl, Edward," Dad said, his throat suspiciously tight. "It won't matter where you go if you hurt her again. I'll hunt you don't myself."

"That won't be necessary," Edward assured him. "If I hurt her like that again, you'll find me on your front porch waiting."

While I appreciated the sentiment, it wasn't the time for them to remind me of the worst period of my life. I rolled my eyes and turned to my new in-laws.

"Bella," Elizabeth murmured as she hugged me. "I'm so glad that you are truly my daughter now. Nothing I say or do can ever make up for abandoning you, but I'll do my best to make sure you know how much I love you for rest of my life. And whatever the two of you need, we'll be there to support you."

"Thank you, Elizabeth," I whispered. Her genuine remorse would never erase our past, but it at least gave me hope that we could move on.

Ed hugged me as well just before Edward and I were accosted by our son.

"Ma, Dad, are you leaving already?" Ryan asked incredulously. "Your party is just getting started!"

Jasper, who was standing just near enough to hear him, snorted. "They've got a party for two waiting for them," he said under his breath.

Edward heard him and smirked. He leaned down so his face was level with Ryan's. "Yeah, bud. Remember, we've still got to drive tonight." Edward winked at him, and Ryan's grin was huge. Clearly, he was also in on the honeymoon-night surprise.

After so many hugs and promises by my dad, Esme, Carlisle, and Tanya to see us the next day for the show, Edward and I packed into his car and pulled away with a wave.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going now?" I asked. I'd been pestering him about it since he told me he wanted it plan it as a surprise.

"Nope. You'll see when we get there," he told me. "I couldn't make the flight times work for a trip to Bermuda. We wouldn't get back in time for the airing tomorrow."

I laughed. It would figure that he would remember. At sixteen, I'd thought Bermuda sounded like the most beautiful and exotic place in the world; Edward had kissed my hand and told me he'd take me on our honeymoon. "No, I don't think Bermuda is going to work."

"I promise I'll still take you there someday," Edward vowed solemnly, lifting my hand and kissing it. "For now, though, we're here."

While I was focused on our conversation, Edward had pulled the car down a long, tree-lined drive. At the end, in a wide clearing, stood a Victorian-style home with a wide covered porch and its own porch swing. Several of the windows along the front were open, and their curtains were billowing slightly in the light breeze.

"Where are we?" I breathed in shock.

Edward turned toward me after parking off to the side in what was clearly a designated parking area and took my hand. "I found this bed and breakfast—actually, Emmett told me about it. His mom used to come up here when she wanted to get away for a little while. I thought it would be perfect since we only have tonight." His expression was a mixture of hope, ruefulness, anxiety, and sadness.

I knew how he felt—the emotions warred within me every time I thought about it. We should have had a week to spend solely on each other, devoting our time to our love and new marriage. Instead, tomorrow, we would be thrust back into the craziness of our life. We would watch the interview about Ryan's kidnapping with his adoptive parents, and then when we returned home, Edward would go back on active duty for God knew how long.

I locked those thoughts away because we did have tonight. I was determined to make the best of it and enjoy every inch of my new husband.

"It's perfect," I reassured him with a smile. "We aren't waking them up, are we?" It was after ten at night.

He laughed as he opened his door and swung his legs out of the car. "No, sweetheart. I did tell them we would be late."

Edward unloaded our luggage, helped me out of the car, and within minutes, we were standing on the doorstep. A thin, older woman with styled gray hair opened the door with a wide smile.

"You must be Edward and Bella. I'm Lena Marston, the owner of Pine Grove." Her voice was soft and kind, the perfect salve to the hectic day we'd had. "Come on in, and I'll show up to your room. I'm sure you're tired after a very long day." She winked and smiled before turning for the stairs.

The house was beautifully appointed, but still cozy. At least, that was my impression of the darkened house as we passed through. "Don't we need to check in or something?" I whispered to Edward.

"No," he answered with a smile. "I checked in before the wedding. I knew it would be late, and I didn't want to hold things up any longer than necessary."

"Smart man."

"Horny man," he responded with a snort, so low that only I could hear him. I laughed in response and shook my head.

Lena stopped in front of the last door at the end of the hallway. "You're the only guests here tonight. Your bathroom is attached, and breakfast will be served at ten, as requested. If you need anything, my husband, John, and I will be downstairs on the other side of the kitchen."

"Thank you, Mrs. Marston," Edward said. I was too awestruck at his planning to respond. "We'll see you in the morning."

She smiled her sweet, grandmotherly smile again, patted my arm, and strode back down the hall. Edward took a deep breath and turned to face me, the door in front of us still closed. For some inexplicable reason, nerves fluttered in my stomach like butterflies. Judging by the look on Edward's face, he was feeling them, too. It was completely ridiculous, as it certainly wasn't our first time—we had a ten-year-old for Christ's sake.

I finally reached out and turned the knob, revealing blue walls with white trim. Edward grinned mischievously at me and stooped, sweeping one arm under my knees and the other behind my shoulders.

"What are you doing?" I screeched, scrabbling frantically to get my arms around his neck. My dress spilled over the crook of his arm, and his smile grew even wider.

"Now, what kind of husband would I be if I didn't carry you over the threshold?"

I rolled my eyes but matched his smile with a loving one of my own. "Isn't that supposed to be the threshold of our home?" I asked as he took a step into the room.

"Eh, good enough for tonight. Don't challenge me, woman. I'll do this again tomorrow." He laughed and set me on my feet. Once he was free of me and my gown, he set our bags on a small settee near the window.

The room was perfect for a small bed and breakfast near the Pacific Coast. Pictures of various lighthouses dotted the walls, along with various shots of sea birds and waves. The quilt covering the large, four-poster bed had a red and white lighthouse in the center with oddly-shaped blue pieces of various shades surrounding it. White lacy curtains hung in the windows, and candles sat on every available surface. It occurred to me that they looked rather out of place, but all thoughts of décor left my mind when Edward slipped his arms around my waist and pressed the hard planes of his body against my back.

With an almost inaudible groan, I leaned my head back on his chest and turned my face toward him. His lips met mine eagerly. There was a charge, a spark, that I'd never felt before; it heightened the anticipation and each touch. My fingers were snaking through his shorter-than-normal hair before I'd even realized I'd moved them.

Edward clutched me tighter, and his hands began to roam across the front of my body. Each pass was like a live wire jumping and sparking through my body; I wanted, I yearned...yet, I was exactly where I wanted to be.

Our mouths broke apart, both of us breathing heavily but unable to move more than a few millimeters away from each other. "Do you need to change or anything?" he whispered against my lips.

I nodded, brushing our noses together as I did so.

"Then you'd better go do it now," he ordered softly, "or there isn't going to be much left of this fantastic dress."

I laughed and shook my head, finally pulling away. That broke the spell, and both of us headed to the connected bathroom. My bag came with me, as I had my own surprises for him.

Clearly, the Marstons had spent a pretty penny renovating the place, and they hadn't spared any expense on this bathroom. There was an enormous garden tub surrounded with candles and a double sink. The toilet sat off to the side of the bathtub, and I chuckled to myself as Edward made a beeline for it. Not even married for eight hours, and nothing was off limits—of course, it wasn't like he hadn't peed in front of me before, but still.

"Can you help me with my dress?" I asked after pulling yet another handful of bobby pins from my hair. There was a zipper down the back that I couldn't quite reach.

Edward stepped up behind me and trailed his fingers down my back as he lowered the zipper. I held the dress up in the front and watched him as he walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Quickly, I shucked the dress and hung it on the hanger I pulled from my bag. Underneath my clothes for the next day were two boudoir sets. When Alice and I had gone shopping, I hadn't been able to decide if I wanted to go for the traditional pure white set or a more fun and flirty black number. We'd argued the merits of each back and forth until I'd said "screw it" and bought them both.

Faced with my wedding night and my new husband on the other side of the door, I was thankful that I'd purchased the white set. There was something about the start of our marriage and the depth of our love for each other that warranted the purity of the white gown. I slipped the thong on, muttering a bit about the discomfort, and carefully slipped the white satin and lace gown over my head.

Okay, so pure wasn't the first thing that came to mind as I stared in the mirror. The lace trim dipped low over my breasts, the satin barely concealing my nipples. Not that it mattered. The material was so thin that I could see the dark circles of my areola beneath it. It cut off just above mid thigh and had a cut out of lace in the center over my stomach. Frankly, it didn't leave much to the imagination, but it made me feel pretty, and that was all that really mattered.

I took a deep breath before opening the door. It rushed out in a whoosh as I took in the scene that awaited me. The candles around the room were all lit, providing the only light in the room and giving it a soft glow. Edward had turned down the quilt and was lying underneath the sheets with only his bare chest visible. He was staring at me like a starving man staring at the finest steak, and I could feel my body heat in response. It was a heady feeling, being this obviously wanted, even from across the room.

"Dear God, what are you wearing?" he finally asked as I strolled closer to the bed.

"Do you like it?" I sounded shy even as I gave a catwalk turn so he could see the entire ensemble.

"Fucking hell," Edward mumbled. "Come here."

I took that as a yes and clambered onto the bed as fast as I could.

Edward wasted no time in shifting so that he was sitting up against the headboard. The sheet still covered his lap—barely—but I could see every line of muscle in his chest and abdomen. He reached out his hand and guided me over his lap. I was sort of surprised that he had me sit so far down his legs, but as his eyes raked over me, I understood. Heat flashed through my body as my husband eye-fucked me in the best possible way. It was seduction in its highest art form.

"That is . . . it's . . . I don't know enough words to describe how delectable you look right now," he murmured. "It's beauty, and innocence, and pure sex all in one."

"So, I take it you like it?" I asked, feigning shyness.

Edward huffed a laugh and then smirked as I moaned when he ran his hands up my sides and around my back. "Like it? I want to devour you." He licked his lips and looked me up and down again. "Actually, I think I will."

He flipped me over onto my back and dragged his hands over my lace and satin-covered nipples. They responded by hardening even further, reaching for him as his hands trailed even farther down my body. With Edward on his knees in front of me, I had time to admire the rest of him that was now bared to me.

The weeks that he'd been on active duty had been good to his body. Edward had always taken his physical fitness seriously, but the last few weeks had taken that to a level that I'd never witnessed. He was like a lion stalking his prey, the muscles rippling with each movement—and I was his prey. I was fairly sure I'd never been happier to be on the receiving end.

My back lifted off the bed when his lips skimmed across the juncture of my thighs. Within seconds, my world had shrunk down to simply the sensations coursing through my body. Fingers pumped in and out of me while Edward licked and sucked at the tender flesh.

"That's it, baby, come for me," I heard Edward whisper just before white spots exploded in front of my eyes and I free fell into ecstasy.

As I came down from my high, I felt Edward kiss my inner thighs reverently. I opened my eyes just enough to see him sit back on his knees and gaze at me with the most tender expression.

"I love you, Bella," he said simply. "Thank you for marrying me today and making me the happiest man on this Earth."

I shook my head, knowing that I was the lucky one to have found someone that loved me so much. When I started my rebuttal, he laid one finger gently across my lips and shushed me. "Perhaps we can agree, then, that we are both so damn lucky to have found each other again."

I nodded in agreement and took the hand he offered to help me sit up.

Edward's hands fiddled with the bottom of my slip. "As lovely as this is, it has to go. I want it to be just you and me."

I raised my hands above my head as he lifted the gown off, and then I wound them around his neck and met his lips in a passionate kiss.

Our hands roamed each other's bodies, learning, touching, caressing, as we lost ourselves in our lovemaking. When we finally joined completely, it was slow, measured, sweet, and everything I ever dreamed it would be. And though we had made love many times, both when we were young and since we'd come back together, there was something different, special about making love to my _husband_. It seemed impossible to me that a few simple words and a signed piece of paper could ever make this much difference, but somehow, it did.

My second orgasm wasn't as violent as the first; it crested in waves and broke over me time after time. Edward's pace faltered slightly, and he groaned into my mouth as his own release overtook him. His arms gave out, and his body sank onto mine. I knew it wouldn't be long before he worried about crushing me, but I loved feeling his weight over me, to know that I was completely surrounded and cared for _by him. _

The enormity of my emotions hit me, and tears leaked from eyes. "I love you, Edward. I love you so much," I whispered into his ear as my fingers threaded through his hair.

"Oh, Bella," he whispered back with a rueful smile as he raised up and took in my tears. "You are everything to me; you always will be." Edward leaned down and kissed my tear tracks away before pressing his lips to mine.

After several more of those kisses, Edward rolled onto his side and tucked my back into his chest. I'd told him once, many years before, that having him pressed against me and his arms around me was my favorite place in the world, and tonight, despite the sweat and musk that clung to our skin, he held me to him as we fell asleep.

Sun poured through the open window the next morning when we woke. I'd set the alarm for eight thirty so that we could take our time showering and cleaning up before we were expected at breakfast. The sun, however, was too bright for such an early hour, and a quick look at the clock showed that we only had ten minutes before our hosts would have our meal on the table.

"Oh, shit!" I screamed, jolting Edward out of an unusually sound sleep.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, looking around the room in a panic. "What is it, Bella?"

"We overslept," I cried as I jumped from the bed and scrambled around the room. "I know breakfast is at ten, but what time do we have to be out of here?" I couldn't find the panties I'd been wearing the night before, and since I couldn't remember Edward taking them off, I had no idea where to look.

Edward's hands on my shoulders stopped me, and he turned me to face him. "Relax," he said soothingly. "I'm sure we aren't the first honeymooning couple they've had come late to breakfast, and we don't have to check out until three."

The panic ebbed as quickly as it had set in, and I felt the tension pour out of me as I deflated. "Okay," I said. "But I still don't think we have time for any . . . shenanigans . . . while we shower."

Edward snorted, and his eyes twinkled. "No shenanigans, huh? If you insist. We should still conserve water, though."

"You just want to see me wet and naked," I accused playfully.

He shrugged and smirked at me. "You say that like it's a bad thing." He swatted my ass and walked into the bathroom, waggling his eyebrows as he passed.

I couldn't resist joining him. What started out as joint cleansing turned into more meaningful touches. Needless to say, we were really late to breakfast. The Marstons just smiled knowingly and offered us fresh fruit, waffles, bacon, and sausage along with their knowledge of the area.

There wasn't a lot to do between here and Forks, but Edward had planned ahead and scouted out some spot that he was sure I would love. Hiking through the woods wasn't my favorite idea, but we took it slow and really talked for the first time in awhile. We'd both been so busy, and our lives had changed so much lately that we hadn't stopped to talk about how it impacted our future together.

We both wanted more children sooner rather than later. More than anything, we wanted Ryan with us permanently to make our family complete. This last mission had made Edward realize that his time serving our country was over.

"There's something more important in my life now than my duty to my country," he said. "I can't go overseas and fight like I need to knowing that. As soon as my bid is up, I'm done. Besides, I've already missed watching one of my children grow up; I don't want to miss a moment of the rest."

I certainly wasn't going to argue with him. Actually, I pushed him against a tree and kissed him hard.

When the trail came to an end, we were staring at a rushing creek leading from a waterfall. Huge trees towered overhead, filtering the wan sunlight into speckles across the ground. No one was around, and the only sounds were those of the wildlife. After Edward produced a blanket from his backpack, the sounds of our passion joined those of the birds.

Before I was ready, we were back at the house and packing up our bags. The Marstons wished us well and invited us to stay whenever we wished, despite our tardiness to breakfast. The last part was delivered with a wink, and I knew that I was beet red.

The trip to Forks was quiet. Edward held my hand on the console the entire way, but it was as if the enormity of what was about to happen had just set in.

"Are you ready for this?" Edward asked as he pulled into the Cullens' driveway. An odd string of lights and a bow still hanging in a tree reminded me of happier occasions here not even twenty-four hours before. Now, my entire body was strung tightly for completely different reasons. The driveway was full of cars, which I hadn't really expected. We'd said that we wanted to watch this with our family; I hadn't considered that the Masens, my mom and Phil, and Charlie would join us, as well.

"Looks like the gang's all here," Edward murmured. His eyes stayed trained on the extra cars in the driveway as he opened his door and swung his legs out.

I got out of the car as well, and we walked hand-in-hand to the door. Neither of us spoke; the tension of what we were here for was evident in both of our postures.

Carlisle opened the door just as we got to the porch. His smile was genuine but strained. "Come on in. Everyone's gathered around the TV in the living room. It's almost time."

We followed him into the house and turned the corner into the living room as the ticking of the _60 Minutes _stopwatch flowed from the television. We waved our greetings and took a seat together on the couch next to Ryan. He sat between us and the Cullens with his eyes firmly fixed to the television.

Ours wasn't the first story—that was something based in the Middle East about which I cared little. After the commercial break, however, Lesley Stahl appeared on screen, and Ryan grabbed my hand.

We listened as she described "black market baby-selling" as an underground epidemic across the country and provided statistics to back up her assertions. Over the next few weeks, she said she would feature one family impacted by the crime and explore what steps had already been taken to ensure the safety of our nation's children and what more could be done.

Only bits and pieces of our interview made it through the editing process. America got to see Edward and me describe how Ryan's death affected us. Carlisle and Esme shared how overjoyed they were to have him in their lives and how the thought of losing him after ten years was devastating to them. Officials from various child welfare departments around the country weighed in on what standard procedure was in cases like this—most of the time, children are returned to their biological parents without delay. Psychologists that specialized in child trauma and family therapy reported that while keeping children from their biological families was never positive, uprooting older children and placing them in a unfamiliar environment could be just as damaging.

The prosecutor working with the FBI touched on the criminal charges facing Gerandy and what they hoped the outcome would be. Lesley recited statistics on what those usually charged with human trafficking and kidnapping received as punishment but made it clear that each case presented special circumstances. She finished out the piece with Ryan.

"I like having two families," he said. "I know that both sets of parents love me, and I know that I was always wanted. The only bad thing is that I feel like I have to choose between them, and someone is going to get hurt. I have to live somewhere, right? Mom and Dad tell me that they will all be a part of my life, but it has to change now. Because of what that doctor did, my real parents have hurt for ten years, and now all of us will hurt somehow forever."

Carlisle clicked off the set as soon as they cut to commercial break.

"They aren't going to just send me off, are they?" Ryan asked, panic and torment clear in his voice. "I mean, that judge said that I got to choose, right? Those people said that they just return kids to the family they were born into."

"Each case is different, Ry," Edward said patiently. "For now, the court is taking into consideration what you want to do. But would it be so horrible to come live with us?"

"No, but I don't want to," Ryan answered. My heart cracked, and my breath stuttered. "I love you, but it's too much right now. I know where I fit here and how my family works. I can't . . . I can't do this." He yanked his hand from mine and thundered up the stairs. His bedroom door slammed shut, and the sound echoed in the silence left by his pronouncement.

My mother at least had the grace to not tell us that she told us so. She gave me a sad smile and pulled me up into a hug. "I love you, sweetie. We're going to head on out of town tonight. Don't worry. It will all work out," she whispered and then kissed the side of my head.

Dad and the Masens also chose that moment to get the hell out of Dodge, not that I blamed them. The sounds of goodbyes and the well wishes filled the foyer for several minutes, giving me something to concentrate on other than the fact that my son was choosing to live with someone else.

"Jacob warned me that this could happen when I picked Ryan up the other day," Esme said ruefully once the last extra family member had pulled away and we had taken our usual seats in the kitchen. When I started to question what she meant, she clarified. "He said that Ryan was feeling very pressured and wasn't handling the changes as well as he was leading us to believe. Though Ryan hadn't said so in as many words, he believed that Ryan felt his life was out of control and said not to be surprised if he sought out something familiar for comfort. Honestly, though, I was expecting to see his baby blanket on his bed, not this."

I sighed and squeezed Edward's hand. "I wish I could say that I was surprised. Even knowing that he would eventually have to let it out, I wasn't prepared for how much that hurt to hear."

We all agreed that he hadn't meant for his comment to be hurtful and that we would have to figure out ways to let him know that we all loved him regardless of where he lived right now. It was going to take more working together on our parts, but to have Ryan happy and less stressed, it was worth the effort.

Ryan still hadn't come downstairs an hour later, and Edward and I had to get on the road. We'd already loaded all of our stuff in his car and delayed our return to Seattle as long as we could.

"Go on up," Carlisle suggested when it was clear that Ryan had no intentions of responding to our yells.

Edward had been as understanding as he could be up to this point, but Ryan's behavior had pushed Edward to his limit. I could see it in the set of his shoulders as he marched up the stairs.

"Edward, please, don't yell at him," I begged. "We talked about this, knew he was going to have trouble with it at some point."

"I'm not going to yell at him," he answered in a strained voice. "But he cannot be allowed to get away with treating us this way. We have to set limits, too. This is mine." He banged on the door with his fist until Ryan swung it open.

Ryan's eyes were red, and he couldn't meet either of our eyes. He stared at his feet instead.

"We're leaving, Ryan," Edward said simply.

Ryan's head snapped up. "What? No! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'll go live with you if you want me to!" The words were rushed together in his panic.

Edward and I looked at each other, confused as to what was going through his brain.

"Slow down, Ryan. We're just going home. No one is going to force you to do anything. Your dad has to be back on duty tomorrow—he got a weekend pass for the wedding," I answered.

"You aren't mad?" he asked in a small voice.

Edward breathed out heavily and guided Ryan by the shoulders back to the bed, where they sat together. He appeared to be choosing his words carefully. "You have a right to feel whatever it is you're feeling. It's okay to be confused. What isn't okay is how you've treated us today. You made your mother and me feel terrible; it really hurt our feelings to hear you say that you didn't fit in as a part of our family. We needed to talk about how we're going to handle the school year today, but you wouldn't come downstairs to give us your input. It makes us feel like you really don't want to be with us at all. We love you, Ryan, and always have. We want you to happy, but we want you to be part of our family, too. We don't want to go weeks without seeing you."

"I don't want that, either." Ryan shook his head emphatically. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just thought you'd be mad at me for saying I want to stay here."

I pushed off the door frame I was leaning against and walked over to Ryan, crouching down so that we could see eye to eye. "We aren't mad at you for that. It hurt to hear you say that you didn't want to live with us, but we do understand. There have been a lot of changes in your life over the last five months. It's hard for us to keep up sometimes. What we don't want you to do is shut us out. Talk to us about how you feel and what you want. As your parents, we will always do what is in your best interest, but we will always take into account what you want."

Ryan nodded. "I'm sorry, Ma. I love you." He threw his arms around my neck, and I hugged him tight. It never got old feeling my son in my arms.

Once he released me, he apologized to Edward and hugged him, too.

"We'll see you in a couple of weeks, bud," Edward promised.

I hoped that he would be able to keep that promise with his mission the way it had been, but I chose not to point it out in that moment.

Ryan followed us back downstairs and out to the car. A light drizzle had started, so we said our final goodbyes on the porch and then ran to the car. As it usually did, leaving Ryan hurt. It was like tearing a piece of my soul away. And as of right now, there was no end in sight.

**Thank you for sticking with me and reading! I hope to have more for you soon. There are a lot of great stories out there to read. Check out everything by LyricalKris—she has a bunch of new stories out and they are all great. **

**Also, I'm looking for an Edward/Bella polygamy story. Keep in mind that I don't want a polyamory story—I want something more like Big Love. If you know of anything, please let me know!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I don't. I own this plot. She doesn't. She has a lot of money now, and well, I haven't quit my day job. **

**A/N: Don't fall out of your seats. It is an actual update. I could offer you a lot of meaningless drivel as to why this chapter has taken so long. Honestly, this is not the chapter I ever meant to write. However, this is what you get. **

**Major Masen and I would like to take Veteran's Day to thank all of those who are currently serving our country in the military, all those who have served, and their families. You all make great sacrifices each and every day and you will never know just how thankful I am for that. To you, I dedicate this chapter. **

**Chapter 38**

The weeks following our wedding were a lot like the weeks previous. Edward was gone more than he was home, and when he was home, it was as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. I tried to ask him about it, but his pained, "I can't, baby. It's classified," made our conversations very short. He'd watch the news on occasion, seemingly looking for something specific, but since he never found it, I couldn't pin it down.

We continued with our every other weekend visits with Ryan. Sometimes, Carlisle and Esme brought him to us, and other times, we would go to him. Edward and I weren't getting to spend a lot of time together, but he was able to carve out the time to spend with Ryan. I kept telling myself that it was as it should be, but it was hard to shut off my feelings. Zafrina and I met a little more often in those days. I knew that I should be talking to Edward—a fact she reminded me of often—but that would have required him to be around.

With only one week left until Thanksgiving, I was getting close to reaching my breaking point. Edward hadn't been home in four days, and his responses to my texts were few and far between. At this rate, I was going to be eating a Banquet meal on Thanksgiving by myself since he couldn't tell me if he'd even be home.

"Hey, Esme," I said into the receiver as I answered my phone on the way out of the office.

"_Do you have any particular traditions for Thanksgiving?" _she asked instead of saying hello.

"Um, just the normal ones," I said hesitantly. "Why?"

"_I'm making the grocery list. I'm going to the grocery while we are in Seattle this weekend; the Thriftway is practically bare already. Carlisle's mom always makes this horrendous oyster stuffing and insists that it is a necessity. I didn't know if you or Edward had anything like that. Your dad said he had to work that day but that he would stop by for a bite to eat," _she rambled, sounding completely frazzled.

"Back up. I'm lost," I admitted.

"_You _are_ coming here for Thanksgiving, aren't you?"_

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," I told her. "We were supposed to be switching holidays, and this was your year."

"_Bella," _she said patiently, _"do you have plans for Thanksgiving?"_

"No." Alice and Angela were both going home to eat with their families and had invited me to come along since we had no idea if the boys would be able to take off or not. Poor Ben had been covering the office, and Angela had spent several evenings eating with him there just to spend time with him.

"_Then, why don't you come and spend it with us? It might be our holiday with our son, but there is no reason that you can't be here, too," _she reasoned.

I smiled, and a tear leaked from my eye at her thoughtfulness. "Thank you. I'll check with Edward . . ."

Esme cut me off. _"He's welcome, too, of course, but I expect you here regardless. Just because he is wrapped up in work doesn't mean that you have to spend the holiday alone. And if he has a problem with that, he can call me and I'll give him what for."_

I laughed at her maternal vehemence. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be there. What can I bring?" I asked as I pulled into our driveway. Edward's car sat in the same spot that it had occupied for the last two weeks; he'd been picked up by military transport on the rare occasion that he'd been home. The house was as dark as I'd left it.

"Pie?" Esme suggested.

I agreed after verifying the number of people attending the meal and then told her I would see her the next day. The clicking of the lock sounded loud to my ears, and when I opened the door, I gasped and dropped my briefcase.

My living room furniture was gone.

A blanket was spread out in the middle of the floor where the coffee table should have been, and large, fluffy pillows were strewn about. A couple of them looked suspiciously like my couch cushions, but in the low light of the fire in the fireplace, I couldn't be certain.

"Hello?" I called uncertainly, looking through toward the kitchen. I grabbed an umbrella I'd left near the door a few days before and wielded it like a baseball bat. Reason started to creep in, and I wanted to smack myself. First of all, a serial killer wasn't going to make my living room look like something from a posh harem, and second, he certainly wasn't going to answer me.

Edward, however, did. He strolled in from the kitchen in a tight white T-shirt and a low slung pair of cargo pants. His hair was still slightly damp, and it didn't smell like a locker room, so I quickly surmised that he'd showered at some point.

"Hey, baby, you're home," he said sweetly while wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. He took a couple of steps toward me but stopped when he realized I wasn't advancing and was still clutching the umbrella.

"I am," I said hesitantly. "What's all this?"

"My attempt at romance? I just wanted to do something nice for you." He trailed off as I scanned the room. It really was lovely and quite romantic . . . as was the smell of chocolate coming from the kitchen.

"You have the night off, then?" I asked, attempting a smile. I loved that he was trying, and I was determined to make the most of the time we did have, but it killed me each time we got to be together and then he was gone before I woke.

"Tonight, tomorrow night . . . the mission is over, baby," he whispered, finally stepping forward, pulling my makeshift weapon away, and taking my hands in his. "I'm all yours."

I threw myself into his arms and hugged him as close to me as I could possibly get. He didn't make fun; he just held me back, cradling me as if I was the most precious thing in the world. "Shhh, baby. I'm here," he whispered over and over while rubbing his hands down my back.

After several minutes, I pulled myself together and kissed my husband for all I was worth. I'd missed him, damn it.

A timer went off in the kitchen, and we pulled apart reluctantly. Edward threaded his fingers through mine and dragged me behind him into the kitchen, as if he didn't want to be separated any more than I did.

"What's all this?" I gasped. The kitchen table looked more like a staging area than somewhere to eat, and there were dishes everywhere.

Edward had the good grace to look a little sheepish. "I made dinner. We aren't eating in here," he rushed to assure me. "While I pull dessert out of the oven, why don't you go change into something comfortable?"

I didn't want to wear the holey sweatpants I'd resorted to for comfort lately, so I dug through my drawers and found a cute pair of yoga pants and one of Edward's old T-shirts. Underneath, my attire wasn't quite so comfortable, but I'd put up with it for the look I was sure to earn later when he unwrapped me as his welcome home present.

With candles and the fire providing our only light, Edward and I fed each other pieces of steak, au gratin potatoes, and lima beans. It wasn't the most glorious meal I'd ever eaten, but I hadn't had to cook it and I had my husband by my side. In that moment, I was sure it was the best food ever. We talked, laughed, and stole kisses between bites, all like we were teenagers again.

The chocolate lava cake he'd baked—or heated, I didn't ask—was the messiest part of the meal, but also the most satisfying. Each droplet of wayward chocolate had to be licked off, and we were eating with our fingers.

"Sorry," Edward said, not really sounding sorry at all. "This shirt has to go; it has chocolate all over it."

I laughed—he'd just painted my chest with the chocolate on his hand.

"Pity, then, that yours is just ruined," I retorted while running my fingers through the chocolate on the plate and down his chest.

Edward snorted and grinned, removing his shirt faster than I thought was possible without getting chocolate everywhere. I pushed the plate away as I discarded everything but the purple and off-white lace bra and panty set I was wearing. Edward's eyes widened, and he ran his hands lightly over my chest.

"Damn, I'm a lucky man." Edward looked from my breasts up to my eyes. "I love you, and I love what you're wearing. But I need you, and if you leave it on, you aren't going to be able to wear it anymore."

We melted into the pillows, with his body covering mine, skin against skin, and found each other again. Our need took over without preamble and the hard—even more than normal—planes of his body pushed against my softer curves. Our entire meal had been foreplay, and we didn't waste time on anything else. Edward thrust into me, hard and fast, making me lose my breath at the sensation. It just felt _so damn good _to be with him again this way.

He lifted my leg onto his shoulder and thrust harder. His forehead was lined with concentration, a look that often meant that he was trying to hold himself off by reciting gun names.

"Let go, baby," I whispered, needing to see him lose his tightly wound control. He, however, wasn't about to come without me and shifted his thumb across my hip to my clit. The tight spirals he knew I loved brought me to the edge, and I groaned as my release washed over me. I barely had the presence of mind to watch as Edward clenched his eyes shut and let go with an almost pained moan.

He let go of my leg just in time for me to shift it to the side as he collapsed on top of me. "Love you so much," he whispered huskily. I knew I didn't have his full weight on top of me, but I loved it. Here between the floor and the man I loved beyond reason, I felt safe and protected.

We stayed like that for several minutes, just breathing each other in and relishing in the feeling of our bodies together at rest. Eventually, however, the floor got to be a little harder than was pleasant. I shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable, and disturbed Edward, who seemed to understand my predicament. I expected him to roll over and lay me on top of him. Instead, he lifted me up and carried me up the stairs to our bed, where he loved me slowly for hours.

There were a few nights in my life that I'd ever felt that cherished, but I knew that one would always be one of the best.

~SD~

Ryan was already at the house when I arrived home. He and Edward were playing basketball with a neighbor I'd never met and only paused long enough for my boys to run over and greet me. Edward looked well rested, which I knew wasn't a result of last night. I'd barely made it through the day.

I danced away from both of them as they tried to hug me. Nasty, sweaty boy did not go well with pin-striped suit. Edward leaned in and gave me a boyish grin and a peck on the lips. "Hey, wife," he said with a wink.

"Hey, husband," I teased back, glancing at Ryan over his shoulder. "You ever going to give Ben a break?"

"Already done," he affirmed. "I sent him home about nine this morning and finished out the day, at least until Ryan got here. We don't have anything that can't wait until Monday, which is good, as I intend to spend the entire weekend with my wife and son." It was as though that was the first time he'd really said those words. His face lit up, and he kissed me again. "Damn, that sounds good, doesn't it?"

"It does," I agreed. Ryan and the neighbor boy were starting to look impatient and kept glancing at us. "Why don't you two finish your game while I make dinner?"

Edward nodded once and turned to go back next door. "I laid out pork chops," he called over his shoulder.

All I could do was shake my head at his less-than-subtle tendencies and make my man some pork.

~SD~

The three of us spent the entire weekend together, playing games, shopping, talking, and watching movies. Ryan found plenty of things he wanted for Christmas, and I tried to pay close attention to what Edward picked up. It was our first year as a family, and I wanted it to be perfect.

It wasn't all fun and games, though. Dad called with the news that Gerandy's trial was scheduled to start right after the new year started. Ryan was visibly shaken by it but never would tell us why. When I called Esme later that night to tell her about the trial, I made sure to mention Ryan's reaction. She promised to mention it to Jacob when she dropped him off for his appointment on Wednesday afternoon. I could only hope that he would talk about whatever was bothering him with someone if it couldn't be me.

He was mostly back to his normal self by the time he left on Sunday, having extracted three promises from each of us that we would be there on Wednesday night. His giddiness over the upcoming meal reminded me so much of Edward. Their favorites were even the same, with the exception of sweet potato pie on Ryan's part, and that was only because he'd never eaten it.

Thanksgiving was chaos, pure and not-so-simple. Esme's entire family was there. Carlisle told us that his parents were spending the holiday with his sister and her family in Michigan. Edward and I reluctantly volunteered to stay at Charlie's because the house was full. Ryan would have none of that, though, loudly announcing that he wanted us there and didn't care if everyone else stayed in a hotel. His grandparents were clearly offended and looked to Carlisle and Esme for help in correcting his "rude behavior."

Carlisle opened his mouth to say something to Ryan, took one look at his face, and snapped it closed. "He wants them here," he finally told his in-laws. He offered to pay for their hotel room, but they declined and took off before everyone had even arrived.

The next morning, Esme's mother didn't show up to cook as planned, so Christina, Esme, and I were running around like crazy, trying to make the traditional holiday meal without the extra hand and experience we'd been counting on. At least we didn't have to cook the turkey. Carlisle had decided he wanted to deep fry it, so he, Edward, and Charles spent hours outside tending to the fryer, while the kids watched the parade in the living room.

In the end, the food was good, and everyone talked throughout the meal. Ryan liked sweet potato pie almost as much as his father. The Carters finally showed up just before we were ready to eat and acted as though nothing was amiss. I certainly wasn't going to say anything. Viola did help clean up and was a little less frosty than the last time I'd seen her. That was...until she mentioned visiting at Christmas.

"Oh, Ryan will be in Seattle for Christmas. We are going to celebrate a few days later," Esme said, trying to downplay it.

"You aren't serious, are you? That's ridiculous. You need to put your foot down, Esme. This is his home, and he needs to be home on Christmas," Viola scolded.

"He has a home in Seattle as well, Mother," Esme answered through gritted teeth. "We split holidays with Edward and Bella, and this is their year for Christmas."

She turned to me, her face pinched and her lips pursed. "I hope you're happy, ruining this family and confusing that little boy. Esme and Carlisle have given him a good life, and you're just messing that up." She turned her attention to Esme. "I won't be a witness to my child and grandchild getting hurt, Esme. I told you this was a bad idea from the beginning, and time is proving me right."

Viola threw the dish towel she's been using to dry dishes onto the countertop and stormed from the room. We could hear her harpy-like voice shrilly calling to her husband that it was time to leave.

"Bella, don't mind her," Christina said in a tired voice. "She's always like this. Actually, we should all be thankful—the rest of the weekend will be much more enjoyable now that she's gone!"

Esme was leaning against the counter with her head down. "She always has to make things so difficult. It's like she never considered how hard this was going to be for me, too, and she just made it that much harder."

My heart sank, knowing that we were part of the reason she was hurting. "I know that it's going to be weird to have Christmas somewhere other than your house, but I promise that we'll make it like home for you," I said.

Esme's head snapped up, and Christina's tilted to the side in curiosity. "What are you talking about?"

"You are coming to our house with Ryan for Christmas, right?" I asked. Edward and I had talked it about and were planning to settle the plans later in the weekend. We figured Ryan would be happier if we were all together, and for our first Christmas with him, we wanted him to be as happy as possible. They'd invited us here for the weekend; I assumed that she would know that we were reciprocating.

"I—I thought you would want this Christmas to be just for you," she stuttered. "I thought we would be intruding."

I playfully rolled my eyes. "Nonsense. We're a family. We'll work out the details later, but Christmas is at our house this year."

Esme crossed the kitchen in three strides and hugged me tightly. I could feel her tears against my cheek, but neither of us said a word. They weren't necessary.

~SD~

Life seemed to come in spurts and stops. One minute, I couldn't wait for time to just _move,_ and the next, I was wondering where in the hell it went.

During the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Esme, Carlisle, Edward, and I formulated our plan for our Christmas celebration and made our agreements on who was getting what. Ryan had made a list—a very detailed list—of what he wanted for Christmas. The four of us chose the most important items and split them evenly. We even agreed to a limit so that none of us went overboard. It took a lot of restraint from both Edward and me, but we squeaked by with a dollar to spare on our limit.

In our minds, we had ten years of missed Christmases to make up for. "Nothing can make up for that time, Bella," Zafrina reminded me when I complained to her about it at work one day. "If you keep trying to do that, you'll spoil him rotten and have a monster on your hands. Not to mention ruining whatever relationship you have with Carlisle and Esme, and at this point, Ryan still wants and needs them in his life."

I knew she was right, but it still sucked.

The cap didn't stop Edward and me from going completely overboard with the Christmas decorations, though. The outside of our house didn't rival Clark Griswald's, but it was a near thing in my opinion. Edward scoffed and told me I didn't have a lot of room to talk when he looked around the house. There were Christmas-y knick-knacks all over the place, garland on the entertainment center and banister, twinkle lights in the banister garland along with red bows, and the Christmas tree took up entirely too much space. He couldn't even get the star we'd bought on top because the tree was too tall; instead, he used a zip tie and secured it to the front to make it look like it was on there. Ridiculous, yes, but it was ours.

~SD~

"What are you doing?" Alice asked incredulously as she walked into our kitchen one Friday about a week before Christmas.

"Baking," was my simple answer, though it might have sounded more like "bay-in" because my mouth was full of batter-covered beater.

Her eyes were wide, staring at my day's efforts as if she'd never seen eighteen dozen cookies before. Oh, and three platters full of haystacks, peanut butter balls, and divinity. "I see that. Why?" she asked, slowing her words as if I needed help understanding her.

"It's Christmas," I retorted. Really, I thought it was the most obvious thing in the world. It was Christmas, and you baked cookies at Christmas. Never mind that I'd never done it before.

"Uh-huh . . . And what are you going to do with all of these cookies?"

For the first time all day, I actually stopped and looked around the kitchen while I pondered my answer. What _was_ I going to do with all these cookies? The urge to giggle struck me, and I let out a rather unladylike snort. The absolute lunacy that had taken over in the last three weeks finally caught up with me, and I started laughing at myself. Once I started, I couldn't stop, and my laughter incited Alice's.

That's how Edward and Jasper found us when they got home twenty minutes later, sitting on the kitchen floor, covered in flour, and gasping for breath with tears streaming down our faces.

"Uh . . . I guess we're going out to dinner?" Edward asked carefully, eyeing the mounds of baked goods warily.

I snorted again, and that set off another round of laughter. "Yep, guess so," I managed to choke out. "Unless you want cookies for dinner."

"Are there oatmeal raisin?" Jasper asked, his eyes lit up like a kid on, well, Christmas.

That sobered me immediately because _fuck me_ if he didn't just ask for the one type of cookie I hadn't made.

The expression on my face must have alarmed him. He backtracked and held his hands up in front of him in supplication. "I was just kidding, Bella. Really. Uh, sugar are my favorite, the ones with sprinkles."

"Well, good, because it looks like you'll be getting a couple . . . dozen." I grinned, shook my head at myself, and stood to kiss my very handsome husband.

We did go out to dinner after I got cleaned up. Alice and Jasper were going to spend Christmas with the Brandons in Forks for Christmas and then were flying to Texas to spend the week after with his family. They would be home just in time for New Year's Eve.

Fisher House was sponsoring a Military Ball for all active servicemen and veterans in the Seattle area as a fundraiser on New Year's Eve. According to Jasper and Edward, it was going to be a huge event, and they'd already bought tickets.

"The tickets were only $50 per couple?" Alice asked dubiously. I grimaced, knowing what she was thinking. We'd attended several fundraisers over the years together that were several hundred per plate.

"It's for veterans, too," Edward reminded her gently. "A lot of them served in WWII and don't have a lot of disposable income. The organizers wanted it to be affordable for them but still raise enough to add some rooms to their facility. There is a silent auction, too."

"What does Fisher House do?" I asked.

"It's like the Ronald McDonald House for the families of veterans and active military personnel. They give the families a place to stay nearby when their loved ones are in the hospital," Jasper explained. "With so many veterans aging and an active foreign war, space can be hard to come by."

It only took one instant for me to imagine myself in the shoes of those men and women that had to travel far from home to be with someone they loved, and I knew I'd do everything in my power to make sure that Fisher House had a great night. Alice seemed to have the same thought and nodded at me across the table.

The next day, I called Kate and Zafrina before offering our services free of charge for children of those injured in service to our country. The woman I spoke to at Fisher House was so grateful, as there were a lot of times that the kids got lost in the turmoil of recovery. Later, I discovered that another item had been added to the silent auction—$1000 in designer clothes from Alice.

Though thoughts of the upcoming ball were wreaking havoc with my nerves, it did serve to get my mind off my worries about Christmas. Before I knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived and brought Ryan to our doorstep with it. Our greatly toned-down doorstep.

"Hey, Ma!" he practically yelled as he launched himself at me. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," I whispered, my throat tight as I hugged him to me.

Esme and Carlisle kindly edged past us into the house, letting us have our moment without an audience. Carlisle's arms were full of presents, and Esme rolled their luggage in.

"The house looks beautiful," Esme told me once we joined her in the living room. "What happened to the . . . tchotckies?"

Esme had seen the house at its worst when Edward and I were in our decorating frenzy. She'd stopped by one afternoon while shopping in Seattle. Because of the school holiday program, Edward and I had spent our weekend with Ryan in Forks, and they hadn't seen the house. When Esme stopped by, I could tell she was fighting to hold in her laughter as she looked around.

"They . . . found another home," I answered with a small laugh. I'd taken a few of them back to the store, and those I couldn't return, I'd donated to one of the homeless shelters in town. They'd tried to make their halls as cheery as possible for those living on the streets, and I was glad we could contribute, even if it was with a ridiculous looking wicker Santa.

She snorted and tried to hold in her laughter as she nodded.

Ryan was, of course, enthralled with the mounds of gifts piled around the tree. To be fair, not all of them were for him. All of our presents were organized around the tree in clumps; one side was for our parents, one side was for our close friends, and ours to each other and the Cullens' presents were mixed in with Ryan's.

"When do we get to open presents?" he asked excitedly.

Edward snorted. "Tomorrow morning—after eight. You aren't allowed to come down here or wake any of us up before then."

Carlisle and I both looked at Edward in disbelief.

"That was always the rule in my house growing up." Edward shrugged. "Are you really going to complain about more sleep? Besides, it's going to be a late night and a big day tomorrow."

"Oh? What are the plans for tonight?" Esme asked.

We had dinner ready in the kitchen and plans to attend services at Angela's church at ten. Several members of the youth group had called the house over the last week to specifically invite Ryan and to ask him to participate in their caroling. We had told him about it during one of our nightly calls, and he'd seemed excited.

Esme and Carlisle were amenable as well, and we chatted about their normal Christmas traditions over a meal of ham, green beans, and a homemade macaroni and cheese. Since our kitchen was still overflowing with cookies, Edward had forbidden me from making a cake and insisted that cookies were a more than suitable Christmas dessert.

Knowing that we would be getting back home quite late, Esme and I had Ryan choose four cookies for Santa's plate before we got dressed for church. We left it on the counter with a special Christmas glass beside it that we would fill with milk when we returned.

Angela's church was bedecked with garlands, bows, and candles, giving the large sanctuary an intimate, homey feel. The youth had gathered near the front, and Ryan ran off to join them eagerly. Esme watched with a sad smile as she saw him greeting his friends; it was the first time that she'd really gotten a glimpse of his life here, and I thought she was perhaps realizing that one day soon, he might choose to live with us instead.

"That was a beautiful service," Carlisle commented as we left the parking lot near midnight.

"It was," I agreed. "I really liked how they had the kids leading all of the carols and hymns and passing out the candles at the end. It was a great way to incorporate them."

"Well, Jesus loved the little children," Ryan replied semi-sarcastically.

We all laughed loudly, the solemn spell of the church service broken. Ryan talked almost non-stop in the backseat, no doubt in an effort to keep himself awake. Most of what he was saying didn't even make sense.

Ryan stayed awake long enough to put the cookies and milk on the coffee table by the tree and to change into his pajamas. I wasn't convinced that he'd done a great job brushing his teeth, but I let it go, as he was barely awake enough to walk to his room.

"Night, Ma," he mumbled as I tucked him in.

"Good night, Ryan," I whispered. "Merry Christmas."

Downstairs, Carlisle and Edward were putting the finishing touches on the 10-speed bicycle that Ryan had asked for from Santa Claus. Esme was holding the new helmet and pads that went with it—because Santa was nothing if not concerned about safety.

"This is perfect! He'll love it," Esme whispered reassuringly. We'd decided to share the cost of Ryan's gift from Santa, but Edward and I had gone to the store to pick out the orange and green bike. And rather than waiting until the last minute, Edward had put it together in our garage, knowing that Ryan wouldn't have time to see it.

I grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch. "Let's throw this over it so it's not so obvious."

"Bella, it's still going to look like a bike," Edward replied, but he helped me drape the blanket over the handlebars and seat.

We each ate a cookie, and Edward drank the milk before we all retired for the night. With Ryan's earlier level of excitement, I doubted that we'd make it until eight a.m.

~SD~

I was right, but it wasn't Ryan that woke me at seven fifteen on Christmas morning. The firm knock on the door made me sit straight up in bed and throw on my robe before running down the stairs. The rest of the house was still quiet, so I hoped that whomever it was hadn't awakened everyone else.

Through the window next to the door, I could see the lights from a police car. My heart jammed into my throat. I threw open the door to see my father standing on the doorstep, holding a fresh cup of coffee.

"Sorry it's so early, kid," he told me. "I tried to get up here last night, but Mark switched me shifts so I could be here with you today."

I threw my arms around him in a huge hug. It didn't matter that he'd woken me so early. What mattered to me was that he took the time off to come and spend Christmas with me like he had for the last ten years.

Since everyone else was still asleep, Dad and I went into the kitchen, and I got started on breakfast. The cinnamon rolls went into the oven, and the coffee maker started percolating. One by one, the adults filed into the kitchen, enticed by the dual aromas of sugar and spice and Arabica beans.

Dad was greeted warmly by the Cullens and Edward, but he was literally bowled over when Ryan ran into the room.

"Grandpa!" he yelled. "Merry Christmas!"

Dad laughed, a little winded, and pushed off the counter he'd been knocked into. "Merry Christmas, bud. Did you check under the tree yet?"

"No!" Ryan hollered. He turned around and ran into the other room at full speed.

Edward had the foresight to have the camera in hand and snapped pictures as Ryan ripped the blanket off the bike.

"Oh my gosh! This is so cool," Ryan gushed. You'd think he'd never seen a bike before. Immediately, he started pointing out various features to Carlisle. The rest of us took seats around the room and watched him.

Eventually, Carlisle gently reminded him that there were other presents under the tree. Ryan passed out the presents and then eagerly tore into his own. Dad had gotten him his own fishing pole and tackle box so they could go out together whenever he wanted. Ryan sorted through each of the lures Dad had included and asked what each would catch.

Then, there were the piles of clothes, boxes of Legos, iTunes cards, and Nerf guns. Edward had insisted that they each needed one, and before Ryan could get his open, Edward had retrieved his from behind the couch and shot Ryan right in the cheek.

"No fair!" Ryan shouted. "Mine's still tied in here! I can't get it out!"

I took it from him and untwisted each and every twist tie that anchored the gift into the box. Esme stopped me before I got it completely out, though.

"Ryan, now that you've opened all of your gifts, why don't you sit and watch us open ours?" Esme suggested.

Ryan didn't seem to think too highly of that idea, but he did as she requested, albeit reluctantly. He fidgeted the entire time we opened gifts, and we went as fast as we could. When the last gift, a new pair of running shoes for Edward, was opened, I slipped into the kitchen and brought out the warm plate of cinnamon rolls.

Everyone took at least one, and Ryan sighed contentedly as he chewed. The room was full of paper and happiness.

"This has been the best Christmas, ever," Ryan concluded, looking at all of us together as a family.

_Yes, indeed, it had been._

**If you haven't seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, well, I don't know what's wrong with you, but it's necessary to see it at least twice in your life. Preferably with alcohol. Alcohol is also usually involved in my holiday baking routine. That could explain the vast amount of baked goods I always make. But hey, if you want to have some fun, come on over—at least your sweet tooth will be satisfied for a few . . . weeks. **

**Rec this week:**

**It is sad to say, but reading is a lot easier than writing. Of course, that means I've been doing too much of the former and not enough of the latter. But you should read this story anyway, because it is fantastic. **

**Letters to Corporal Masen by solostintwilight: It's a heart-warming story set during WWII, with just the right amount of facts and romance. It's also complete as of today. **


	39. Epilogue

**Stolen Dreams**

**Disclaimer: The storyline is mine. Anything recognizable belongs to the respective owners. **

**A/N: This chapter has been a long time coming. For the last two years, I've worked on this monster, deleting and restarting, reworking, and planning. I think it's finally exactly what I want it to be. I could put so much more in here, but I won't. I'll leave you to enjoy it. Oh, and it hasn't been betaed because, well, I wanted you to have it. **

**Epilogue**

"Jamie, come on. We're going to be late," Ryan called from the front foyer. His baseball cap sat low on his forehead, his sun-bleached red hair poking out around the sides. He needed a haircut, but refused to get one until the season was officially over. University of Washington was in the play-offs and Ryan refused to do anything that might make them lose. Edward kept telling me I should be thankful he was still willing to change his underwear.

Jamie thundered down the stairs and reached his hands out for the bag that Ryan was patiently holding. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't find my glove. I oiled it last night like you showed me."

Ryan grinned, shook his head, and ruffled his little brother's hair. "Fat lot of good that'll do you if you don't make it to the game. Go get in the car."

I rolled my eyes and suppressed my smile at their banter. "We'll meet you at the field," I told Ryan and stretched up to kiss him on the cheek. He blushed and gave me a one-armed hug.

"You might want to change that one," he suggested, pointing at Charlotte, his four year old little sister. "She spent the entire practice the other night playing in the dirt. Dad gave her a bath before you got home."

I glanced at my daughter and held in the laughter. She was wearing white tights, a white ruffled skirt, a bright pink t-shirt, black Chucks, and a red baseball cap pulled down over her curly red hair. Clearly, she'd dressed herself again and ignored the outfit I'd laid out. Charlotte, or Lottie as we all called her, was so independent, and she fancied herself a style maven like her Aunt Alice.

"Eh, it's just dirt." I shrugged. "She washes just like you did."

Some stupid coaches along the way had decided that white pants were perfect for a kids' baseball team—a sport played in the dirt. Esme and I had spent hours trying to get the red clay and grass stains out of them. I was thankful that the school had to launder Ryan's now.

Ryan chuckled, no doubt remembering, and reached for the door. "I've got to get him to the field. I told all the kids to be there an hour early, and it wouldn't be good for the assistant coach to be late."

I swung Lottie into my arms and stepped out on the porch to watch my two boys pull out of the driveway, Ryan driving Edward's old Volvo and Jamie in the backseat. They were so close now, but it hadn't been easy to get where we were.

~SD~

The week following our first Christmas with Ryan was at once crazy busy and lonely. Edward and I both were working like mad to catch up on what we had missed in the weeks before the holiday and to get ready for our New Year's Eve out. When we came home, the once warm house was like an empty shell. There were reminders of our missing son everywhere. He'd left a Lego set on the end table and a football under the tree. Neither of us could bring ourselves to put them away, though. Ryan's nightly calls were the highlight of our days, and once we hung up, the almost overwhelming pall settled over us again.

By the time New Year's Eve arrived, I was beyond ready for a night out. Edward had thought ahead and rented us a room at the Sheraton where the ball was being held so we wouldn't have to worry about getting home afterward. Alice arrived at our house with the dresses she and I were going to wear about thirty minutes after I got home from a partial day of work. Two hours later, we were primped and pressed into gowns worthy of our men in uniform.

At least I thought we were, until I saw my husband standing at the base of the stairs. I hadn't had much of an opportunity to see Edward in his new full dress uniform. He looked so . . . official, standing straight with his cap under his arm.

I'd stopped at the foot of the stairs without realizing it. Alice nudged me to get to move forward, and it snapped me out of my stupor. Edward reached forward and took my hands, twirling me around.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, his love for me clear in his expression. All I could do was gaze back, drinking it in and returning his love with every fiber of my being.

Jasper cleared his throat, reminding us that we weren't alone. I blushed instantly and Edward cleared his throat.

"Shall we go?" Jasper asked with a smirk. He swept his hand in front of him, palm up, to motion us to go in front of him.

Edward bent his elbow and held it out for me formally. I smiled, tucked my hand into the crook of his arm, and accompanied him into the warming car.

Even though the ball was being held upstairs in one of the ballrooms, men and women of all ages in uniform, and their dates, filled the lobby of the Sheraton. It amazed me to see so many people in different uniforms—not just the different uniforms of the various branches, but differences within the branches encompassing decades of service. Several men in uniforms similar to Edward's and Jasper's saluted as we made our way to the elevator, where we squeezed in next to a elderly veteran in wheelchair. His date, an elegant older woman in a lovely gold dress, stood behind the chair with her hands on the handles. It was easy to see the pride in her bearing and expression at accompanying him to this event. Before I could speak to her, though, the elevator door slid open and the other patrons rushed off. Edward and I stood to the side as the older couple got off and then we followed them into the hallway.

Tables filled with auction items were positioned around the edges of the room and lines of people filed past, with the occasional stop to bid. Another table boasting military memorabilia sat at the end of the room and drew the eye with hanging swords, uniforms, and flags. I had no idea where to start or where to look first.

Alice didn't seem to have the same problem. As soon as someone caught the men's attention, she tugged me toward the first auction table and into the throng of people looking at items to bid on.

Over the course of the evening, the four of us bid on several different items, drank, ate, danced, and chatted with the other guests. There were veterans from every war from World War II to the current conflict. One older gentleman sitting at our table took notice of Edward's rank as we walked up. Unsure of what he needed, I was ready to go help him as he struggled to stand and watched in shock as he saluted my husband and stood at attention. His uniform was old, but well-kept, though now a bit ill-fitting. He was clearly proud of his service and the symbols thereof.

"At ease, Corporal," Edward said with some authority, but I heard the catch in his voice. I turned to look at him and his expression was a mix of respect, wonder, shock, and pride. He saluted the man in return and walked the short distance to shake the man's hand. A familiar patch rested on the man's shoulder—familiar because the same patch was sewn onto my husband's.

"Salerno?" I heard Edward ask, bending down so the older gentleman could sit. Edward gestured to the man's leg and the cane he gripped with his left hand.

"Nuremburg. Fierce fighting, it was. I fought all the way through France, sir, only to be taken out at the beginning of April by a stray bullet," he lamented, then chuckled.

The lady with him, his wife, if I had to guess, smiled indulgently and patted his arm. "Oh, don't sell yourself short, Cecil. Stray bullet! They don't give medals for stray bullets," she said.

My gaze drifted to the man's chest, as did Edward's. "The Bronze Star," Edward remarked, respect clear in his voice. "No, they don't award those for stray bullets."

After much cajoling on our part, Cecil relayed the story over dinner. Alice, Jasper, and Betty, Cecil's wife of 52 years, were just as transfixed as Edward and I were. Clearly, this wasn't a story that he'd told over and over, but he remembered it as if it was yesterday. I could see the pitted and ruined fields, smell the gunpowder and smoke in the air, and feel his pain as he watched his comrades fall around him.

Cecil patted Betty's hand and smiled at her. "Then, when they shipped me home, I married my girl straight away." Betty blushed lightly and I could see the hint of the schoolgirl she'd once been.

Edward's hand found mine under the table and squeezed. "Do you think that'll be us in fifty years?" he whispered into my ear before kissing my neck right underneath it.

"I hope so," I whispered back. I kissed him lightly and rested my forehead against his for a moment. I pulled back only when Edward stood.

"Dance with me?" he asked, holding out his hand.

There was no way I was going to refuse. We joined a few other couples on the floor and relished the feeling of being in each other's arms.

That's where I stayed the rest of the night—in Edward's arms. We danced for a few more songs, then said our goodbyes to both our oldest friends and our newest ones. In the lobby, I checked my phone and found a text from Esme. They had gone out to a function in Port Angeles for a few hours and my father had come over to stay with Ryan. It seemed that when they'd arrived home at 10:30, both Ryan and my father were passed out in the living room with movie credits running in the background.

We moved with the throng of people and waited through two full elevators until we got one that was blessedly empty. Once the door closed on the elevator, and we no longer needed to be concerned about propriety and image, Edward turned me around to face him and smashed his lips to mine. His kiss was hungry and full of desire.

With fistfuls of his starched uniform, I clutched him to me, throwing myself into our passion with no intent of resurfacing before the New Year. We tripped out of the elevator, lips still locked together, when we reached our floor. Distantly, I heard a couple of wolf whistles and a "Go get her, Major!" but getting my sexy soldier to our room and undressed was far more important to me.

"Fuck, I need you," Edward groaned as soon as the door closed behind him. His hands searched blindly for my zipper, then fumbled as they pulled it down. He groaned again as he pulled back and looked at my lingerie.

"Happy New Year?" I said playfully, grabbing his tie and pulling him along with me toward the bed.

"Happy New Year, indeed," he agreed.

We made quick work of his uniform, though we did take care not to wrinkle it too much. Alice might bitch about my dress in the morning, but listening to her definitely beat having to re-press all of his creases.

We didn't, however, have the same care for the hotel comforter. I crawled up toward the mound of pillows at the headboard and turned just in time to see Edward stalking toward me, a predatory look on his face.

He pressed me into the mattress with his body and his lips found mine, hungry and a little demanding. I wound one hand into his hair and raked my nails down his back. His answering growl told me just how much he liked my forcefulness.

Edward's hand snaked between us and between my legs where I was hot and wanting. I thrust my hips into his hand, then felt the sting as the scrap of lace covering me gave way. My grunts urged Edward on, and he took them as permission to continue. His fingers rubbed my wet skin, massaging my clit in the most delicious way. I could feel the pleasure building and moved with him, our mouths still connected, though our kisses had given way to panting together.

I heard my whine as he pulled his fingers away and felt the smirk on his lips. I wanted to punish him for stopping when I was so close and encourage him to continue all at the same time. Ultimately, I could only dig my fingers into his muscular back as he entered me with one swift thrust.

The ledge was so close and I wanted the free fall into bliss, but Edward's slow withdraw wasn't going to get me there.

"Please," I breathed, arching my back to get even closer to him as if that would help.

"Come on me, Bella. Come on my cock." His deep, gravelly voice, loud in the quiet room, sent me spiraling into oblivion. I cried out as my body seized and contracted, the waves of pleasure virtually paralyzing me with their strength.

Edward didn't slow as he usually did while I came down from my orgasm. If anything, he pounded harder and faster, filling me so completely that I was sure I would still be able to feel him in the morning.

"That's it, baby," he grunted. "Give it to me. Let me feel you again."

How he was still able to talk, I had no idea. I could barely form a coherent thought, much less vocalize it.

"Do you feel me, Bella? Is my cock making you feel good?"

His dirty words and suddenly erratic thrusts did it for me. My orgasm hit me out of the blue and blinded me with its force. Dimly, I registered the almost tortured sound coming from my love, but it wasn't until his arms gave out that I realized he had finished as well.

Edward's right side tensed as though he was trying to muster the energy to roll away when I stopped him.

"Don't," I whispered. "I like feeling you like this. It grounds me." And after our night together, I needed his weight to remind me that he was still here and to tie me to the Earth. I'd listened to Cecil tell us about his time in war, as well as a Marine that participated in the famous battle for Iwo Jima, two Vietnam vets that survived imprisonment, and a soldier that fought in the Gulf War and, most recently, in Afghanistan. All the while, my hand rested on Edward's knee and I was acutely aware that it was only by the grace of God that he had survived his battles and made his way back to me. His weight was a reassurance for me that he was still here, unlike so many others whose loved ones only had their memories to sustain them.

Before long, we could no longer ignore the scratchiness of the bedspread against my back, and the rapid cooling of our sweat. With a grimace, Edward sat up and ran his hand across his head. Despite the look of disgust that passed across his face as he glanced at the mess we'd made on the bed, his expression was tender when his eyes returned to my face. He held out his hand and helped me to my feet, so that we could clean up.

"Happy New Year?" he said playfully after glancing at the clock on the bedside table, as if he really thought it had been anything less than completely blissful to end the craziness of the past year in his arms.

I smacked his shoulder, and gave him a sly grin. "Eh, it could have been better," I answered with a shrug. I couldn't maintain the illusion, though. I laughed and skipped away from his fingers as he tried to tickle me in retaliation.

After a long shower that contained more groping than it had a right to, we burrowed under the sheets and curled up together, exhausted. Before I knew it, bright light filtered in through the curtains we'd forgotten to close. Just like that, a new year had begun with its own set of challenges.

~SD~

Switching off weekends with Ryan wasn't the easiest feat, and as the first weeks of January passed, it became clear how hard it was going to be. There were school festivals, sleepovers, and birthday parties that couldn't be missed. It seemed like Edward and I spent more time on the road than we did at home sometimes.

It was on one of those trips that set the course of the new year for us. My phone rang with an unfamiliar Seattle number.

"_This is Agent Alec Majors with the Seattle Bureau of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Is this Isabella Swan?"_ the voice on the other end said when I answered.

I cleared my throat around the lump that had formed. "This is Isabella Masen. How can I help you, Agent Majors?"

"_Oh, that's right. Your dad told me you had gotten married. Sorry about that," _Agent Majors responded, his tone instantly more friendly than the uber-official one that had greeted me.

I smiled wanly. "That's okay. Is everything all right?"

"_Yes, I think so. I'm sorry we haven't really spoken before now. We have news about Robert Gerandy's trial; the prosecutor wanted to call you, but I thought it would be better coming from someone familiar." _Before I could ask him why he was calling me, since I didn't know him at all, he continued. _"I tried to get in touch with your dad, but he was out on a call, and it couldn't wait. Bob Gerandy's trial will start in the third week of January, on the 22__nd__."_

"Oh." The single word escaped me as all of the thoughts running through my head fled. It didn't take long, mere seconds, for an entirely new set of concerns took their place. "That's very soon, isn't it? I mean, I've always heard that trials like this can take years," I rambled. A glance at Edward showed him looking at me in alarm. I mouthed "Gerandy's trial" to him while hitting the screen on my phone to put it on speaker.

"_They usually do take longer, sometimes years, but his confession and his age gave us a little more leverage,"_ Agent Majors explained.

"I thought that the plea agreement was off the table," Edward interjected, his confusion as evident as mine. "Sorry, Edward Masen here."

"_The agreement is off the table, but he confessed to the crime and was willing to admit his guilt to the court in a plea deal before it was withdrawn. All statements he made pertaining to that plea agreement are permissible in court. The prosecutor Mr. Mancuso appointed is throwing the book at him, charging him with whatever she conceivably can,"_ Alec explained.

"What is Gerandy hoping to gain?" Edward asked.

Alec snorted. _"At his age, I don't know. Maybe he's hoping that the jury will decide to let him out of jail before his bones rot. The kidnapping charge could get him twenty years, and the human trafficking charge another five, in additional to fines that could range up to $10,000. The prosecuting attorney has a whole host of other minor charges as well. She's intent on making an example of him."_

"Will we need to testify?" I asked, the pit in the bottom of my stomach growing. It wasn't that I was nervous about testifying in court. I hadn't faced Gerandy since this entire ordeal began and now, now I knew exactly what we'd missed out on. Now, I wasn't sure how well either of us would be able to contain our emotions.

_"Yes," _Alec responded firmly._ "That's why it was so important for me to get in touch with you tonight. Miranda Appleton should be calling you in the morning. She's going to want to go over your testimony before putting you on the stand."_

I wasn't sure what to say, or how to react. My mind was blank and I just blinked.

"Thank you for letting us know, Alec," Edward finally said, his voice devoid of emotion and his face tense. I noted absently that his knuckles were white around the steering wheel. Alec said something else that I didn't catch before hanging up. I only noticed because my phone screen flashed and returned to the dialing pad.

Thankfully, we weren't too far from home, because the remainder of the ride was silent. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't formulate any truly coherent thoughts. My mind was a mass of whirling emotions: confusion as to how to feel about the upcoming trial, uncertainty about seeing the man that stole my son again, and concern for the man struggling next to me.

My concern for him finally won out over the rest as we walked in the door. Edward practically threw our bag down and stalked into the kitchen, tugging at his hair.

I followed him into the room, quietly assessing, but without some direction, I wasn't sure how to help him. "Talk to me?" I requested softly.

Edward's head shot up in alarm and his eyes searched mine. I shoved my own anxiety to the back of my mind, and schooled my features as I often did with my patients. Edward sighed and sank into one of our kitchen chairs. His hands were buried in his hair with his elbows propped up on his thighs. I sat next to him, waiting for him to sort through his thoughts.

"I'm not sure I can do this, Bella," he finally admitted. "I don't know if I can relive it. As bad as it was for me, I know it was worse for you. You've finally started feeling more . . . secure. I don't want this to set you back." He sounded pained.

"There's a difference this time, Edward," I said softly, pulling his hand from his hair and threading my fingers through his. I waited to continue until he looked up at me. "This time, we have each other."

He stared at me for a long moment, and gave me a small smile. "Yes. Yes, we do."

~SD~

Miranda did call us the next morning. Over the following two weeks, we met with her at least four times to go over our testimony. With one week left, Edward and I both took off work to accompany Miranda to Forks. I wasn't the least bit surprised to find both Esme and Carlisle at home with Ryan standing between them when we drove up. I was, however, shocked at Miranda's demeanor. With Edward and I, she'd been nothing but sympathetic and encouraging. She was stiff and formal to both of the Cullens, and I understood why she was considered a hard-nosed attorney.

"I need to speak with the Cullens for a moment," she said, immediately after the introductions were finished. "Edward, Bella, why don't you take Ryan into the living room, and I'll join you momentarily?"

Edward's brow furrowed, but he wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder and guided him out of the foyer. I picked up my purse from the floor and started after them, stopping just outside the doorway when I heard her start to speak again.

"The FBI has informed me that they found no evidence of your complicity in Ryan's kidnapping. That said, I want you to know that I am not happy with the decision not to prosecute. You bought a stolen baby. I want to see the original adoption documents, and we will discuss what further action will be taken."

I slipped away from the doorway and into the living room. Behind me, I could hear movement, and I knew that Carlisle would be going to his office for the paperwork she requested. My expression must have reflected my shock because Edward looked at me in alarm. I shook my head minutely, not wanting Ryan to know what Miranda has said. He was so sensitive to the feelings of both sets of parents that I feared it might impact his responses.

Ryan handed Edward a video game, pulling his attention away as Miranda strode into the room. She set her briefcase down on the coffee table and began removing her documents.

"Can I get you something to drink?" I asked, making my voice as pleasant as I could manage.

She didn't seem to notice anything amiss, or if she did, she gave no sign. "Sure. I'd love some water," she answered without looking up. I felt dismissed, but it was a complete relief.

Esme was leaning against the kitchen counter with her head down between her hands. Her shoulders were shaking and I could hear her breaths coming out in sharp pants. "Esme?" I whispered. I'd expected her to be slightly panicked, but not this.

"Oh, God, Bella," she gasped. Her eyes were wide and fearful. "They're going to take him away from us and throw us in jail. She thinks that we helped him."

"No one is going to put you in jail," I assured her, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. Of course, I couldn't tell her that no one would take Ryan, because that was exactly what we were doing. We intended to keep them as a part of his life, but eventually, he would leave their home. Her breath was still coming in gasps as I rubbed her back.

Once she had calmed somewhat, I eased around her and filled six glasses with ice water. Esme saw what I was doing and took three from me. We walked back in the living room where everyone else had taken their places; Edward gave me a tight smile and patted the couch next to him.

For the next hour and a half, Melinda grilled Carlisle and Esme on their testimony. She asked about their difficulties conceiving, their failed attempts at medical intervention, and what finally led them to their decision to adopt.

"I want you to be prepared for these kinds of questions," Melinda retorted after Carlisle balked at the intrusive nature of her queries. "The defense isn't going to coddle you, Mrs. Cullen. Other than casting aspersion on someone else, they have no hope of acquitting their client. It's my job to make sure that you aren't shaken, that your testimony is rock-solid. I'm sorry if you find me offensive; I assure you, it will be much worse when someone else asks the same questions."

She was much gentler during her interrogation of Ryan.

"When did you learn that you were adopted?"

"What did the Cullens tell you about your birth parents?"

"Can you tell me what your life was like before last May?"

Then, Melinda turned her questions to his life since meeting us. I wondered if being in the room would color his answers, but reasoned that we would likely be in the courtroom should it be necessary to call him to the stand.

They went through the expected questions about how he felt about meeting us, what life was like in our home, why he hadn't chosen to move permanently, before probing into his relationships with the rest of our family and friends.

Ryan gushed about my dad, about how cool it was that Charlie was the Chief of Police, and how much they both love baseball. Edward's parents also had made quite an impression on our son. He described Elizabeth as the type of grandmother that baked and always smelled of cookies, and Ed as a storyteller. Since fishing was something Ryan did with my dad, Ed promised to take him on a museum tour when we came East to visit.

All in all, it painted a lovely picture of the family that Ryan was born into. Even though I knew that Edward's testimony would tarnish it, I saw just how damning Ryan's testimony would be. Dr. Gerandy was claiming that he stole Ryan to give him to a loving family that could provide for him, when all of the evidence pointed to the fact that he already had one.

"Why haven't you moved to Seattle to live with your birth parents, Ryan?" Melinda asked, slipping in the question when he least expected it. "After all, you've only lived in Forks for about eight months. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to move again."

The four of us had been clear with Ryan that, for now, it was his choice. His eyes shifted to each face and his hands were twisting around each other in his lap.

Ever his protector, Esme interjected. "Is this really necessary? Ryan knows that it is his choice, and he's clearly uncomfortable. I don't see how this helps you anyway."

"It doesn't," Melinda answered smoothly. "And I'd never ask this. The defense council, however, will. It could be argued that Ryan's decision to remain in your home reflects how he feels about the situation—that his judgment is that the Cullens are providing a more stable, loving home."

"That's not it!" Ryan cried. "I'm all they have." Realizing what he had just revealed, Ryan smacked his hands over his mouth and looked panicked.

Melinda seemed to recognize the shift in the atmosphere and the tension that suddenly infused the group. "I'm going to use the restroom," she said quietly and excused herself.

Esme and I immediately took our places on either side of Ryan, while Carlisle and Edward sat on the coffee table facing him. "Sweetheart," Esme began, "is that really how you feel?"

Ryan stared at his lap and shrugged. When he answered, he didn't look up. If it was possible for him to curl in on himself even more, he did it right before our eyes. "Ma and Dad can have other children; they won't be alone. If I leave you, you won't have anyone."

Esme's gasp was a mixture of heartbreak and horror. My heart stuck in my throat. My son thought that we could replace him with another child. He was staying here instead of moving to Seattle so that Esme and Carlisle wouldn't be alone.

None of us really knew what to say. They looked as helpless as I felt.

"Ry, buddy, you know that all four of us will always love you, right? That, no matter what, we'll always be a part of your life?" Edward asked, trying to reassure him the only way he knew how.

Ryan shrugged again.

"Ryan, you can't do this to yourself," Carlisle declared. "Your mom and I love you, but we do still have each other. That will never change. And we'll always have you, even if you don't live here."

This seemed to pacify him some, but I knew this issue was far from settled. Melinda returned and finished her interrogation. Before she left, she reminded us when we needed to be at the courthouse, and promised to call if there were any changes. As soon as she pulled out, a beat up Jetta took her place in the driveway.

As he'd promised when I'd called, Jacob had dropped everything and come to help.

"I don't know what to do," I confessed as we all conferred in the kitchen. "We've left this decision up to him, so that he felt he had some control over the situation. It seems like that's backfired, though, and he feels pressured."

"He does feel some pressure, mostly from himself," Jacob agreed. "I believe it would be worse, though, to take away his choices. I've done a lot of research and talked with the therapists of other families in the same situation. The common denominator between all of those that have struggled the most was the court-ordered return to families they didn't know.

"You are doing the right thing," he reassured us. "Even if it isn't always easy."

"Is there anything we can do to help him?" Esme asked. "Do—do we need to move to Seattle?"

"No," Jacob said firmly. "Absolutely not. It's a good idea to give him the control over his decision, for now, but giving him the power over your lives as well won't be beneficial in the long run. Ryan's a good kid, but if you give into his every whim, he'll eventually start to use that. He also needs the stability, the routine. Let me talk to him, see where his head is tonight, but at this point, I think you are doing a good job under the circumstances."

Jacob rose to go up to Ryan's room, and Carlisle shifted as if to stand with him. Jacob smiled his easy smile, and patted Carlisle's shoulder, as if to signal him to stay put. Jacob's gait carried him swiftly from the room, and we could hear his footfalls on the stairs minutes later.

Jacob came downstairs fifteen minutes later and found us still in the kitchen, engaged in the sort of small talk one uses while waiting for something important.

"He's pretty rattled by the questions today," Jacob reported. "I think the trial has made him consider some things that he never really thought about and hasn't had time to process. Give him tonight to think things through. I know the trial starts on Monday, and Ryan needs to get his head clear if he's going to have to testify."

With heavy hearts, Edward and I retraced Jacob's steps to tell Ryan goodnight and goodbye. We had to get back to the city to prepare for the week ahead since we were planning to spend most of it at the courthouse. The tear tracks had dried on Ryan's face as he slept curled around his pillow. A worn blanket that I'd never seen, but that was obviously well loved, was clutched in his fist.

It was yet another reminder of what we'd never had. His beloved security blanket was purchased by someone else; washed by someone else; and lovingly resewed by someone else. My heart seized. Though I knew that Esme and Carlisle loved him and had raised him as their own, in my mind, Ryan was still _my_ son.

But in that moment, it became clear to me that he wasn't. I may have given birth to him, but in all the ways that counted, Esme was his mother. Suddenly, I understood Ryan's reticence. Despite my mother's flakiness, leaving her to live with my father had been the most difficult choice I'd had to make and I'd been a teenager, not a ten-year-old boy having to decide to move in with people I barely knew.

After giving Ryan a quick kiss, I practically fled to the car. I wasn't sure that I could express what I was feeling and I was afraid to even try to speak. Fortunately, either Edward sensed my despondence and was letting me stew until I was ready to talk, or he was feeling the same overwhelming emotions that I was. Whatever it was, the ride home was quiet again.

Monday morning dawned grey and cold. The wintery weather matched my mood. Even though this should have been a step toward closing the worst chapter of my life, it felt to me that it was reopening the old wounds and taking me back ten years.

Edward was almost as tense as I was. The few times we did speak to each other were for things like passing the toothpaste, and it would probably have been better if we hadn't. The end result was nothing more than stress-enduced sniping.

"Did Miranda tell you the order of testimony today?" Edward asked, as we drove downtown toward the courthouse.

I shrugged, hesitating as I thought how best to answer since I didn't think I could handle another argument this morning. "No more than she told us over the weekend. They'll give opening statements this morning, and depending on how long-winded they get, we'll either break for lunch, or I'll go to the stand. I think Miranda is planning to put the two of us, followed by our parents, on the stand first. If we don't go on until after lunch, though, I'll be surprised if they get that far."

He looked lost in thought at my answer. "Do you think there will be a break in between for you to come out to me in the hall?"

"In the hall?" I asked, shocked. "Why will you be in the hall? There isn't an order of exclusion. Miranda said that the judge struck down the motion as we are all family."

He didn't answer immediately. I watched his face as he concentrated on pulling into the secured garage and shifted the car into park. He turned off the car, but made no move to get out. Instead, he sank back in his seat and stared out the windshield.

"I don't think I can can do it, Bella. I'm not sure I can listen to you repeat what you went through alone. It eats me alive every day, knowing that I should have been there. That I should have fought harder to be in that room with you while you gave birth to our son. I should have fought harder to stay with you after he was born, instead of running away and leaving you to deal with it all on your own. If I had done any of those things, we might not be here, doing this, today." The guilt coating his voice was so thick that I wasn't sure how it hadn't pulled him under.

"You're right. We might not be here, together. With the stress of having a child so young, we might not have survived as a couple. Had we believed we lost Ryan, and you stayed, I'm not sure we would have come out intact from that either. I was so lost in my grief, Edward. All we can do is revel in the fact that we found our way back to each other, and that our son didn't really die. You can't blame yourself. The only person to blame is that man on trial. If you have to leave the courtroom, I'll understand. I won't hold it against you, but it would mean a lot to me to have you there. I'm . . ." I trailed off in a whisper, the emotion choking me.

Edward's head whipped around and he wasted no time in gathering me to him as best as he could over the console. "There shouldn't be any question on that, Bella. If you need me there, I'll deal with it. I love you," he whispered soothingly.

I thought about arguing that he didn't have to, but the truth was that I needed him there. I made a mental note to get him to talk to someone when this was all over, but now wasn't the time to bring it up. We had enough hurdles to face over the next few weeks.

We broke apart a few minutes later. Time was running out, and we had only a few minutes before we had to be in the courtroom. Like the gentleman he was, Edward met me at my door and helped me from the car.

On Miranda's advice, Edward was in uniform. He looked every bit the officer and gentleman as he escorted me through the small throng of reporters crowding the courthouse steps. The reactions of everyone we passed made it clear why she'd been so insistent. Even if right and truth hadn't been on our side, Edward's presence as an Army officer gave us an unfair advantage.

Miranda, Ryan, and the Cullens were waiting for us outside the courtroom doors. She gave us a quick briefing, and admonition to hold our tongues, no matter what was claimed, and ushered us inside. Charlie, Elizabeth, Edward Sr, and much to my surprise, Renee and Phil, were seated in the second row. We only had time for quick hugs and hellos before the bailiff was bellowing, "All rise."

Miranda could have had a career as a journalist, if she hadn't chosen law. Word by word, she weaved our story, the threads wrapping around each juror in the box, capturing them in our pain and heartbreak. Once, when she forcefully said, "This man, Dr. Robert Gerandy, engineered their anguish," I saw one of the jurors glare at him. I had no idea how he was going to defend himself against the spell she'd woven.

Until his attorney stood and opened his mouth.

Lie after lie fell forth from his lips. Where Miranda had painted us as intelligent young people intent on making a life with our son, he smeared us as irresponsible teenagers, playing house and setting ourselves up for failure. He fed the jury a tale of two children that signed away their rights, and regretted it once we'd acheived our own successes. He claimed Gerandy's confession was coerced by my father. Robert Gerandy was a good man, he said, a doctor that had dedicated his entire life to the small town of Forks; a man that had done his best to help two kids in a bad situation that was paying for his generosity.

I wanted to vomit.

The opening statements drug on for so long that the judge called for lunch recess as soon as he finished. Between my nerves and his attorney's accusations, there was no way I could eat. The little bit of breakfast I'd managed to keep down was threatening to make a reappearance as it was. Edward tried to get me to eat some soup he ordered, but the smell of the cooked carrots reminded me of hospital food and harder, sadder times. I just pushed it away and picked at my roll.

Edward looked concerned, but considering he ate about as much as I did, he refrained from commenting. We were all quiet as we walked back to the courthouse. Knowing that I was up first, Edward stopped me outside the doors and folded me into his arms.

"No matter what, I want you to know that I love you. We both know that lawyer isn't going to be kind, but you and I both know the kind of woman you are. Ryan knows what kind of woman you are and he loves you, too." Edward kissed me, making sure that I felt every once of his love and support all the way down to my core.

Esme smiled at me and rested her hand on my arm, a silent show of strength. She, Ryan, and Carlisle wouldn't be going into the courtroom with us as they were set to testify later. I gave her a tight smile in return before walking through the doors.

Miranda called me to the stand as soon as the judge took her place on the bench. After swearing my oath to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God," I sat in the stiff wooden chair, took a deep breath, and stated my full name for the record.

"Dr. Masen, at the start of your senior year of high school, what were your plans following graduation?"

"I planned to attend college either in Seattle, near to my father in Forks, WA, or one of a few schools I'd applied to on the East Coast," I answered, just as we'd practiced.

"Did something happen to alter those plans?"

"In early October, my boyfriend, Edward Masen, and I discovered that I was expecting. Obviously, East Coast schools were out of the question, as we both wanted to remain near family."

"You intended to keep the baby then, as you were due before the end of the school year?" Miranda asked.

"Yes. Edward and I had discussed other options, before we told our families, and we wanted to keep the baby." I was firm. I wanted to make sure the jury understood that I hadn't waivered on this.

More than an hour passed as Miranda asked me about every part of my pregnancy, our parents' reactions, the other students' reactions, and Ryan's birth. We had given her the scrapbooks I'd made for evidence of my love for my child, and she showed them to the jury. She asked about the days and weeks following Ryan's birth, and my subsequent nightmares. Several of the jurors had tears in their eyes.

"Did you stay in touch with Edward Masen after he left Forks?" she asked.

"No," I answered simply.

"When did you meet again?"

I described the day we ran into each other in the grocery store, and gave the jury a brief synopsis of our relationship. When Miranda asked me about seeing Ryan when we went back to Forks, I choked as the memories of that day washed through me.

Thankfully, Miranda was patient as she guided me through the retelling of our last several months. There was more than one occasion when I had to stop because my emotions were too raw, too close to the surface. I'd used half of the box of provided tissues by the time she asked her last set of questions.

"Do you love your son?" Miranda asked.

"Absolutely," I responded with no hesitation.

"When did you start loving your son?" she clarified.

This was an easy answer for me. "The day I found out that Edward and I had created him."

"Did you ever consider that Ryan would have a better life with someone else?"

"Of course I considered it. Edward and I considered every option. We concluded, however, that no matter how difficult our lives were for a few years, he was worth it, and that no one would ever be able to love him as much as we did. That love would allow us to provide the best possible life for our son," I stated.

Miranda smiled at me and thanked me. I finally took a quick glance at the jury and found very few dry eyes in the box.

The defense attorney stood and buttoned his jacket.

"Dr. Masen, at seventeen years old, had you ever held more than a part time, minimum-wage job?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. I worked part time at Newton's Outfitters for fun money, but my parents preferred me to focus on school."

"Had Mr. Masen ever held a position of permanence in the workforce?"

"Not to my knowledge. He worked over the summer to save some money, but nothing for more than a few months at a time." I wasn't sure where he was going with this, but I didn't like the sound of it.

"If neither of you had any marketable skills or experience in the workforce, how did you intend to provide for your child?" he asked slyly.

I hadn't been prepared for this line of questioning as well as I should have been, and I didn't know what his aim was. "Our plan was to help each other, and work together to support our son. We would have had two months after his birth to work and save money. Edward and I planned to go to UW in Seattle so that we could stay closer to home. We'd already gotten approved for family housing, which our scholarships would have covered. We each planned to get part time jobs and alternate our schedules so that one of us would be able to be home with Ryan until we could find someone to watch him."

"Based on my client's recollections, you indicated at one time that you and Edward planned to remain unmarried so that you could take advantage of the governmental assistance programs available. Was this part of your grand plan, to let the government support you?" he goaded.

He'd worded his accusation so carefully to incense the jury. I wasn't about to let that happen, though. "I probably did mention it once. I would have done anything possible to ensure that my child had enough to eat and a roof over his head. We hoped that it would not come to that, but if it did, we would have made sure we used every available option. Incidentally, Edward and I could have gotten married. Our limited incomes would have left us well below the federal and state poverty lines."

His questions all seemed to be one variation or another of the same theme. He asked about discussions we'd had regarding adoption. I remained adamant that we'd listened to the arguments, and steadfastly refused it as an option. Eventually, he gave up and let me down off the stand.

As it was after five, the judge dismissed us for the day. It had been grueling, and I was completely wiped out.

"Should we get some dinner?" Dad asked. He sounded hopeful. The rest of the family seemed to want to discuss the day, pick apart each and every sigh of the jurors.

Edward noticed that I wasn't in the right frame of mind. He looped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to his body. He held me up, absorbed my weight, and bolstered what little strength I had. "You go ahead," he said to the others. "I'm going to get Bella home. I think today has been a little much for her."

After saying goodbye to our families, we went home together. Other than a few words here and there, we said very little for the rest of the night. Instead, we held each other close and took comfort in each other's arms.

The next day was as brutal for Edward as the first day had been for me. Miranda led him through the questions we'd prepared. I was surprised when she brought his military service up, though. Edward didn't seem fazed by her exploration of what led to his being awarded the Silver Star. I'd heard the story before, but it was no less heart-wrenching the second time. He saved the majority of his unit and I'd come so close to losing him.

"Major, please describe the circumstances surrounding the award of your Distinguished Service Medal," Miranda asked, and Edward stiffened slightly. It made me curious instantly. He didn't talk about it as a separate instance, and I'd always assumed that the medals were both awarded for the same act of heroism.

Edward hesitated and looked at me as he answered, "During the action in Iraq, I uncovered some information about an impending insurgent attack near our position. As one of the officers assigned to Technical Services, I was in our forward command post while the rest of the unit was actively engaged with the enemy roughly three klicks away." He looked away toward the jury and Miranda. "The attack was imminent, and with the heavy fighting keeping the remainder of the local troops engaged, my patrol was unable to respond. I left the command post under the control of a junior officer and went to assist the Iraqi police protecting the local hospital."

Edward stopped and looked down. Miranda waited for him to continue and when he didn't, she led him on, "What was the nature of the threat against the hospital?"

His voice was flat as he answered. "The hospital was treating both Shia and Sunni Muslims injured in the fighting, though they were in different wards. A third ward at the back of the hospital was serving as a refugee center for women and children of both sects. Many of these women had been . . . victims of violence and were hiding from their families. The information I intercepted indicated that a cell of extremists were planning to bomb the ward where the women were staying. When I arrived, I witnessed three suspicious vehicles positioned at key points near the rear ward. The Iraqi officers assigned to guard duty were not present. I radioed in my position, and issued a warning to the matron in charge of the ward to evacuate. Then, I attempted to disable the three vehicles as they were advancing. The bombs in two of the three vehicles denoted prior to impact. The third vehicle did breach the outer wall of the hospital. From my position on the upper parapet, I was able to hold off the attackers until reinforcements arrived."

"It is my understanding that only one of the insurgents, out of more than twenty, was still actively engaged in the fighting when the reinforcements from your command force and the Iraqi military arrived. Is this correct?" Miranda asked.

"That is what the official report indicated, yes."

Miranda pressed further. "Were your actions standard protocol for this type of situation?"

"No," Edward replied. "Standard protocol indicated that if our forces were unavailable, the Iraqi military and police be notified."

"Why did you fail to follow protocol?"

Edward swallowed and the pain in his eyes was plainly visible for everyone to see. "Neither the military nor the Iraqi police would have been able to respond in time. If I could prevent it, no other mother would know the loss of her child."

The defense attorney kept his cross-examination short and sweet. It was obvious that attacking a military hero wasn't going to win him any points. We adjourned for a late lunch, before my father was called to the stand.

Day after day, we listened as our family members recounted their experiences. The cross-examination of the Cullens was just as brutal as Miranda had predicted. Time after time, he attempted to trick them into admitting that they had participated in Ryan's kidnapping, that they had been complicit in the planning. Miranda's grilling had prepared them well and they stuck to the truth.

In the end, Ryan's testimony hadn't been necessary, much to the relief of all of us. He'd been tense and withdrawn all week. When Miranda rested without calling him to the stand, it was as if a weight had been lifted from all of us, especially Ryan.

Gerandy tried to convince the jury that he'd acted in our best interests and gotten us to sign the legally required paperwork. Not one member of the jury believed him. They only remained in deliberation for an hour before returning to court and pronouncing him guilty on all accounts, except the charges relating to the ten thousand dollars he accepted on my behalf. Based on their recommendations, he would likely spend the rest of his natural life in federal prison.

It didn't, however, make me feel any better. Gerandy's conviction wouldn't factor in Judge Hill's decision on Ryan's physical custody and the throngs of reporters and on-lookers outside the courthouse might make it even more difficult. In fact, just looking out the window at all of the people waiting for us to leave made me physically ill. There was a bank of chairs in the hallway and I sunk into the closest one.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked. "You're really pale."

"No, I don't think . . ." I started, but I was cut off as Miranda came out of the courtroom.

"All right, from what I hear, there are fifteen or so news outlets out there wanting to hear the families' reactions to the verdict. It would be best if you designated one member of the family to speak for the group. Discuss quickly what you want to say, and we will all go out together."

I wasn't aware of the discussion going on around me. My mother sat down next to me and rubbed my back while the rest of the family chose the spokesman. Once we stepped out the front doors of the courthouse, with Ryan safely ensconced between all of us, bedlam erupted. The entire scene was like a dream. Reporters screamed questions, and rushed toward us like a medieval mob after Frankenstein's monster. Only instead of pitchforks and torches, they carried cameras and microphones. Miranda gave a quick rundown of verdict for those not allowed in the courtroom. Edward spoke on behalf of all of us, but I never heard the words. I just couldn't focus; the entire scenario was just too overwhelming.

In hindsight, my distraction and illness made sense. The trial alone was enough to cause it, but when the exhaustion persisted, Edward became concerned and forced me to go to the doctor. As it turned out, I was grossly anemic . . . and eight weeks pregnant.

We struggled with how to tell Ryan the news. He'd already told us that he believed we could replace him, that another child could fill his place in our lives.

In the end, we waited until Ryan was at our house for weekend. "Ryan, there is something we wanted to talk to you about," Edward started as I plated our dinners.

"What's up?" he asked somewhat warily. "If this is about this summer, I was thinking we could do the same thing we did last year." He shoveled some mashed potatoes and green beans into his mouth.

Edward sat down heavily, his plate full and hesitated before he spoke. "Well, not exactly, but I think we'll be able to do that if you want. It's just . . . your mom and I have some news."

Ryan stopped chewing and looked at each one of us in turn.

"At the end of the summer, you're going to have a brother or sister," I told him, convinced that this would go better if we just bit the bullet and said it.

"Really? You mean it?" he asked, his eyes lit with excitement. "You're going to have a baby?"

"We are," I confirmed. My heart was light, and in my mind, I could see us all as one unit, one happy family. He jumped up and hugged us both, as glad a boy as I'd ever seen.

It didn't stay that way. Visit by visit, Ryan got clingier. Outwardly, he purported to be excited about the baby. He helped us with the nursery, came up with ever more outlandish names, and even helped us register for the baby shower my mother, Elizabeth, Esme, and Alice were insisting on throwing me. But in the quieter moments, he rarely left our sides.

I talked with both Zafrina and Jake about it, but they weren't concerned. He was behaving like any other child with a sibling on the way.

And when James Matthew Masen was born, Ryan was the proudest big brother in the hospital. He strutted up and down the hallway in front of the nursery telling anyone that would listen that his brother was the cute one with the blue hat.

A couple of months later, though, it all came to a head. The Cullens had been bringing Ryan to us for our visits, as the four hour drive was too much for a newborn. This time, Edward drove down on Friday morning to bring Ryan home. The Cullens were coming up the following Wednesday evening to celebrate Thanksgiving with us and Ryan was going to stay with us until then.

I had just laid Jamie down when my phone rang. It was early afternoon, and I was expecting my boys home for dinner. When I saw Edward's name on the phone, I expected it to be him, telling me that they were on their way.

"Hello," I chirped.

"_NO! NO! I won't," _someone screamed in the background.

"Edward? Edward, what's going on?" I asked urgently.

"_Bella, we have a bit of a problem," _Edward whispered. The screaming and crying continued in the background. _"Ryan is refusing to come. He's been yelling ever since I showed up. I don't know what to do. He doesn't think we want him."_

"He what? How can he think that?" I cried.

"_I don't know. He said that we have Jamie now; we don't need him to be our son anymore. I don't know what to do, Bella." _Edward's voice was anguished.

"Don't leave," I ordered. "I'm on my way."

"_Bella, wait—"_

I didn't wait to hear what Edward wanted me to do. My son needed me, and I was going to be there for him.

Fortunately, Jamie transferred into his car seat easily, and continued his nap without a fuss. Unfortunately, that nap didn't last nearly long enough. We weren't quite halfway to Forks when Jamie woke and realized that he was strapped in the car. The toys that we had attached didn't amuse him for long.

He wasn't hungry; I'd tried to feed him. He wasn't dirty; I'd stopped at a rest area to check. He was simply unhappy and wanted me to know it. There wasn't anything I could do about that, though. I was a mother to two sons, and the one that would remember this day needed me more than my baby needed to get out of his car seat.

By the time I pulled into the Cullens' driveway, I was at my wits' end. Jamie's screams had quieted some and were interspersed with sobbing hiccups, but more than two hours of that in a confined space had driven me to my own tears.

"Come on, little man," I cooed, as I lifted him from his seat. He cuddled against me, his entire body shaking with each breath.

Edward was stepping out the front door to help, and I could hear my other son still screaming and crying on the other side of it.

"That was fast," Edward commented, reaching for the diaper bag. "I didn't expect you for at least another 45 minutes."

"The louder the infant in the backseat screamed, the heavier my foot got," I admitted sheepishly. It hadn't been very responsible of me to drive so fast, but I couldn't help it.

Edward grimaced. "Goodie. Two boys in various stages of meltdown."

When I asked, Edward told me that while Ryan had quieted enough to admit that he felt replaced, it hadn't been for long. He wouldn't hear anything from anyone. Even Esme and Carlisle had tried to reason with him.

I took a deep breath and handed Jamie to Edward. Since talking had failed, I was going to attempt some good, old-fashioned parenting.

Summoning what little composure and strength I had left, I squared my shoulders and marched into the house.

"Ryan Parker Masen Cullen, get down here, right now!" I yelled over his tantrum. Instantly, the wailing from upstairs stopped, but Ryan's door didn't open.

I waited a few moments, counting to thirty to keep my now frazzled temper in check. "I said NOW, Ryan!" I hollered.

"Now, wait a minute, Bella," Carlisle said sternly, but quietly from my right. He didn't look happy.

I gave him a small smile to let him know that I wasn't really angry and he chuckled as he figured out my plan. Ryan picked that instant to poke his head out of his room.

"Ma?" he called tentatively.

"Ryan, what part of "get down here, right now," confused you? The 'down here,' or the 'right now?'" I retorted.

He didn't waste another second. In just a few bounds, he leapt down the stairs and skidded across the foyer floor to stand in front of me. "What are you doing here, Ma?"

"Apparently, you needed me to come pick you up and put you in the car. The better question, young man, is why I had to drive a second car all the way to Forks when your father was already here to pick you up?" I kept my tone stern, but my voice soft.

"I . . . I didn't think you . . . I mean, I thought with Jamie . . . and you have a son . . ." he stuttered.

"Correction, I have two sons. Two sons that I love very much. Believe me, I'd have to or I'd strangle you both right now." I pulled him into a hug and was relieved when he came without a fuss and melted into me, despite the fact that he was only a few inches shorter.

"You didn't have to come," Ryan said petulantly.

I leaned back and raised my eyebrow at him. "I didn't? You mean to tell me that you weren't refusing to get in the car because we didn't need you to be our son anymore? I just spent three and half hours in a car with a wailing baby for no reason?"

He had the good sense to look a little abashed.

"Ryan, listen to me," I said quietly, so no one else could hear. "You are my son, and no matter how many other children we have, no matter how old you get, you will always be my son. I have loved you since before you were born, and nothing is going to change that."

"But now you have Jamie to love," he argued.

Suddenly, I got it. It wasn't because of his strange situation that he'd completely lost it. Sure, it hadn't helped, but this was something altogether different. This was the normal reaction only children had when a new sibling entered the picture. I couldn't help it; I laughed. I steered him into the family room where everyone else was gathered. Edward was standing by the window, bouncing a still disgruntled Jamie, but his eyes never left us.

"Ryan, honey, the love a parent has for their child isn't like a pie. I don't have less if I give some to someone else. Love is special that way. The heart just expands and makes more. Just because we love Jamie, too, doesn't mean we love you any less. It just means we love both of you."

"So, so you don't like him better because he lives with you all the time?" he asked.

"No, bud," Edward reassured him. "We don't like him better; he does need more of our attention right now, because he's so small, but it has nothing to do with liking one of you more than other."

"Oh," Ryan said in a small voice.

We let him sit on that for a minute, but I didn't want to be driving at midnight. "Are you ready to go now?"

He nodded and walked upstairs to grab his bag.

I sighed. I wasn't looking forward to another trip in the car with the other kid, and I knew he was going to need to eat before we left. Hopefully, he'd sleep longer this time.

While I fed Jamie, Edward made arrangements with the Cullens to leave his car here. We agreed that for all of our sanity, it would be best if we only took one car home. Carlisle and Esme offered to bring it up with them when they came for Thanksgiving.

Not for the first time, and not for the last, I was grateful that Esme and Carlisle had been the ones to adopt Ryan and that they were willing to help us in being one family.

~SD~

Starting that weekend, Ryan's relationship with Jamie really started to grow. He'd played with Ryan in the backseat for the ride home, and participated more with him when we were at home. Instead of being a visitor seeing the baby, he became a big brother that made the most of the time he had.

By the time Jamie turned one, he had Ryan wrapped around his little finger. Any time Ryan was at our house, which wasn't often enough as he slogged through middle school, he was playing something with Jamie. Even the "little bro", as Jamie was affectionately known, wasn't enough to keep him away from his friends, his ball team, and the little girls that lined the field to watch him play, though. Edward and I were spending most of our weekends with Ryan in Forks. It was like watching Edward grow up all over again. There were always a cluster of kids around, and most weekends were filled with sleepovers and parties.

Which was why we were so surprised when Ryan called one Friday night early in summer after finishing seventh grade. It was so unusual for him to be home, much less calling his parents to talk.

"What's really going on, Ryan?" Edward asked after we'd spent thirty minutes on small talk, the phone on speaker while I cleaned up around the kitchen.

"_Um, well, I've been doing some research,"_ Ryan said, hemming and hawing around the reason for his call.

"And?" I asked.

"_And . . . and I want to move to Seattle. With you."_

I dropped the plate I'd been holding and sank into the nearest chair in shock. In all of the time since we'd found him, he'd been adamant about staying in Forks with Carlisle and Esme.

"O-kay," Edward said carefully, after a moment. "You know we would love to have you here, but what brought this on?" He sat down in the chair next to me, all of his attention focused on the phone.

"_It's just . . . there's a high school in Seattle with a special program. It's a Bio-Technology program that'll provide an extra focus on the sciences and technology," _Ryan said in a rush.

"And you think that this high school will give you something in terms of your education that Forks High won't?" Edward asked. I was glad that he had the presence of mind to ask these questions; I was still stuck on 'I want to move to Seattle.'

"_Yes. The program that I want to get into participates in energy competitions, and offers internships to bio-tech companies in Seattle for Juniors and Seniors," _Ryan explained. _"Mr. Banner knows someone at Ballard and said I had a better chance of getting in if I'm already enrolled in a Seattle middle school."_

I didn't know what to think. It was such a grown-up decision, and I was so proud of him for making it, but at what cost?

"I think those are very good reasons to come to Seattle, Ryan, if bio-technology is what you are interested in. Are you okay with leaving all of your friends and starting over in eighth grade?" I asked. Middle school was such a turbulent time, and major changes tended to make it even harder.

"_I'll miss seeing everyone here, but I'll still be coming here on the weekends to see Mom and Dad, right? Like I do with you all now, just in reverse?"_

"Yes, I suppose you would," Edward mused. "Have you talked to the Cullens about this yet?"

Ryan was very quiet for a few moments, and was almost whispering when he responded, "_Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first."_

I smiled; I couldn't help it. "We appreciate that, Ryan. Why don't you talk to them tonight, and we will come down tomorrow afternoon to discuss it as a family? If you are going to move to Seattle, there are a few things that will need to be settled before that can happen."

He agreed to talk to them as soon as Carlisle got home from his shift at the hospital, and switched to telling us about his last week of school and his plans for the next few weeks.

As planned, we met with Esme, Carlisle, and Ryan the following day. While their pain at letting Ryan go, it was clear that they were as proud of his decision as we were. By the end of July, he was registered in school and had officially moved to our home in Seattle.

That first year wasn't easy. It took us all some time to adjust to the changes at home, and a few weeks for Ryan to adjust to his new teammates and his new classes. Jamie was accustomed to having all of his brother's attention when Ryan was at our home, so when Ryan started spending more time with friends, Jamie didn't take it well. He did anything he could to get Ryan's attention, including throwing his iPod down the stairs.

Edward had re-upped with the Reserves when his term finished; not only did he feel he was fulfilling his duty to his country, but his formal association with the military helped cut through some of the red tape involved with the company's contracts. Edward and I fought bitterly about his decision, but in the end, military deployments for the Reserves around the world were rare and his two weeks a year were something we could live with.

The near constant turmoil was taking its toll on all of us, so when I came home early one afternoon to find Edward frantically filling out paperwork and yelling at someone on the telephone, I thought he'd finally lost it.

"What is wrong with you?" I griped as I tried to calm Jamie down. He'd been asleep on my shoulder when an impressively loud string of, "Goddammit! Are you even listening to yourself? Because you sound like a fucking idiot! You've told me the same thing four times . . . and not once have you even coming remotely close to answering my fucking question!" rang through the entire downstairs of our house.

Edward's head snapped toward me as if he'd just realized I was there. How he managed to miss the screaming toddler in my arms, I had no idea, but I was on the verge of going deaf. "Bella? What are you doing home so early? What's wrong with Jamie?"

"You would know if you'd bothered to answer your phone," I snapped. I'd had to cancel three patients this afternoon because I hadn't been able to get in touch with Edward. "Day care called and said Jamie wasn't feeling well after lunch. I took him to Dr. Grabel who said he has a fever of 102.6 and a double ear infection. He was asleep when I . . ."

Edward's attention was drawn back to the phone call while I was still speaking. "Oh, so someone did know the answer. That's fucking great, Private Morrison. Thanks." He blew out a sharp breath and looked back at me. "And I woke him up. Fantastic. Sorry. Give him to me."

Jamie's wails were bad enough to drive Ryan from his room. He walked in the kitchen as I was setting some chicken on the cutting board. "What is wrong with everyone today? Dad's been pissed since he stormed in the door and now the kid's joined him."

"I don't know, Ryan," I answered, suddenly weary to the bone and in no mood to cook. "'The kid' has a double ear infection and feels miserable. He's probably going to be up half the night." I threw the chicken back in the fridge and grabbed the phone. "Order us some Chinese, please."

With Ryan on dinner, I trudged up the stairs. Edward had gotten Jamie to quiet back down and I used the moment's break to change into some sweatpants. Through the monitor on our dresser, I could hear Edward whispering to Jamie, but I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. I slipped on some flip-flops and tip-toed to Jamie's open door. To my surprise, Edward had tears streaming down his face.

"She's going to be so pissed at me, little man. And I'm going to have to tell her that she was right again. I don't know why I don't listen, because she's always fucking right. One day, you're going to meet and fall in love with a girl, and I'm going to remind you of this. No matter what, she's right. If she isn't now, she will be later, so you might as well pay attention."

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I asked quietly. I knew it had to be bad to have gotten this kind of reaction from my husband. The tears weren't slowing and the sadness and pain in his eyes was vivid.

"I got deployment orders today," he practically whispered. "They're sending me overseas with a special tactical unit."

I gasped. "For how long?"

He shrugged as well as he could with our son cradled in his arms. "No idea. I've tried to call everyone today for more info, but the only response I can get is that they'll send us home when we've completed the mission. It could be months, it could be a year; no one knows. So, you were right. I was wrong. I shouldn't have reenlisted."

I crossed the room and knelt in front of the chair, taking his free hand. "When do you leave?"

"Four days." His voice cracked and the tears started falling faster. "I don't know how to do this, Bella. I can't leave you and the boys."

As carefully as I could, I took Jamie from Edward's arms and laid him in his crib, fast asleep. I reached for Edward's hand and led him to our bedroom, where I sat on the bed and opened my arms for him. Without hesitation, he fell into them. Even though his head was nestled against my shoulder, I knew that his tears were coming faster.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I really never thought this would happen. They can't even tell me if we'll have outside contact all the time," he said.

My heart squeezed at his words and what they meant for us as a family. "Just keep yourself safe for us and come home. That's more important to me than a call from around the world."

I held him for a few more minutes while he composed himself, then we went back downstairs together to eat dinner and tell Ryan what was going on. Like most teenage boys would, he thought it was "cool!"

That night, between trips to Jamie's room to give him medicine and settle him down, Edward made love to me repeatedly.

"I want you to feel me inside you the entire time I'm gone," Edward grunted through his teeth during a series of particularly hard thrusts that were on the verge of sending me into orbit. "This body, this pussy, is mine, and you'll remember that." He used his thumb to press against my clit, and the orgasm that had been approaching blasted through me. It was all I could do not to scream.

The next morning, Edward encouraged me to go to work and Ryan to go to school. Jamie was still feverish, though, so Edward packed him up and took Jamie with him. Knowing that we only had a few more days together for an extended period of time, I spent the day rearranging the rest of my patients for the week. The time right before our wedding was the closest thing I'd ever come to experiencing a deployment, and Edward was at least able to come home most nights. I didn't know how I'd handle him being gone and out of contact. I couldn't fold in on myself as I had the two boys to think of. I had to be strong for them and Edward.

It was easier said than done. With only three days left until he deployed, Edward spent the day gathering information for me and insisted that we go over it after dinner that night. He had copies of all of his benefits with me listed as the primary beneficiary and both of our children as secondary beneficiaries. He went over contact information for the family liaison assigned to the unit he was deploying with.

"Because this isn't my normal unit and I'm being called in from the Reserves to serve with an active unit, the officer that would normally support you and provide you with what information he could isn't involved. I did talk to the Ombudsman out of Fort Carson, and he is willing to help you all he can. You should expect a call from him within a week after I leave. I've listed his contact information, though, in case you need it," Edward informed me. The stack of papers that he was sifting through and shoving my way was overwhelming.

I couldn't wrap my head around it all. There was even a page titled, "What To Expect If Your Soldier Dies In Combat."

"Edward, what if something happens to me while you are gone?" I asked, suddenly panic-stricken.

"They'll pull me out and bring me home, Bella," Edward answered in a grave tone. "Nothing's going to happen to you. I need you to be safe . . . for me and the boys."

The pressure on my chest didn't lessen. "That's not what I mean. If something happens to you, you know that I'll do my best with our children. But what if something happens to me? We've never talked about it. Carlisle and Esme still have joint custody of Ryan. He'd go live with them again. Who would take Jamie? My dad? Alice and Jasper? Your parents?" My voice was sounding more and more hysterical.

Edward blanched. "I don't . . . I don't know. Maybe Aron can squeeze us in tomorrow and give us some advice. I can't even . . ."

Other than the sound of Ryan's music upstairs and the Baby Einstein video that Jamie was glued to in the other room, we sat in silence, staring at the official forms and literature designed to help families in worst case scenarios. I hadn't thought I'd be in that position and struggled to wrap my mind around our new reality. I just couldn't comprehend it.

The next three days passed in a blur of appointments, preparations, and late night lovemaking. Before I was ready, we were walking into the airport with our soldier, still unready to see him off. Ryan helped Jamie wave his flag, as Ryan waved his own. We'd said our protracted goodbyes at home, so we smiled as Edward kissed each of us and walked through the security gate where we couldn't follow.

Weeks went by and the boys and I fell into a routine. Ryan took over getting Jamie ready for day care in the morning, and meals were planned or prepared in advance. Ryan spent more time at home, choosing to have his friends at our house instead of going to theirs. Each night, we all typed messages to Edward. Ryan's were mostly about his baseball team, or school, and Jamie's consisted of whichever keys his little hands could hit. Edward's return messages were sporadic, and in the occasional video message, he looked tired and worn, but Jamie cheered over each one and clapped to see his "Papa," as he had taken to calling Edward. Ryan sometimes sent along videos with our messages; we made sure to capture all the highlights—Ryan's first high school baseball game, Jamie saying his alphabet, Jamie's 3rd birthday party, and the boys dancing to some new popular song. We mailed packages filled with letters and "artwork" to the base where Edward was supposed to call home base.

Then one day, nine months after Edward walked through security away from us, we stood in the airport again, watching for him to walk through again, this time towards us.

Life following Edward's return was an experience in frustration and adjustment. Despite our joy in having him home, fitting Edward into our new routines didn't work well. He was endlessly frustrated and complained that he didn't have a place in our lives. His attitude was exacerbated by his lack of sleep. We would make love and I'd fall asleep in his arms, only to wake hours later to a cold and empty bed. When I bothered to get up and look, I'd find him either on his computer or in front of the television. We argued more and more often. Zafrina counseled that it was normal and urged me to make more of an effort. I was just frustrated with his apparent lack of effort in adjusting to the life his decisions made necessary.

One day, almost three months after Edward's return, my frustration boiled over. I didn't feel well, and in my mind, Edward was refusing to be helpful. He spent all day at work, or at home on his computer, and left all of the child care and household chores to me. It felt like he was punishing me for creating a routine without him. As normal, I picked Ryan up from practice after a long day of seeing patients, and we swung by Jamie's day care to get him. The director stopped me on the way in, adding more to my plate.

"Mrs. Masen, I need you to sign an incident report. Jamie was playing with the blocks and when another child tried to play with him, Jamie bit him."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, astonished. We'd made it through the prime biting years with no trouble at all!

"Unfortunately, no. The other child wasn't seriously hurt, but we do have to make you aware," she responded in what I'm sure she meant to be a soothing voice. "Jamie was given a time-out and we talked about biting and why we shouldn't use our teeth that way."

I sighed and signed the paper she held out to me. Ryan walked through the hallway, bouncing Jamie in his arms.

"Mommy!" Jamie called happily when he saw me standing near the office. "I bited Derek today. He stole my blocks."

He didn't sound the least bit sorry. The director laughed and shook her head, and I wanted to die a little inside.

Before Ryan could encourage him, I took Jamie and went back out to the car. After buckling Jamie in and sitting in the driver's seat, I slammed my door and banged my head against the steering wheel. Wisely, Ryan just got in the car and was quiet for the short drive home.

All I wanted when I walked in the door was a hot meal, one I didn't have to prepare first, and to put my feet up with a glass of wine. Edward's truck was in the driveway, and for one moment, my heart lifted in hope that today would be the day things changed. It only lasted an instant, though.

Edward was sitting on the couch with three other monitors spread around him. He was lost in his own little world. Dirty dishes littered the sink and an empty pizza box was open on the table, the half-eaten banana peppers visible. He didn't look up when we walked in or acknowledge us in any way.

I set Jamie on the floor and watched him toddle straight for his dad. Jamie tried to crawl into Edward's lap, but Edward shrugged him off and set him back on the floor. "Ryan, come get your brother, please," Edward said impatiently, without even looking up. Jamie tried again to get his dad's attention. "Now, Ryan!"

A glance at the only screen facing me, and the headset encircling his head told me that he wasn't working. I put my hand on Ryan's arm and shook my head, while glaring at my husband. "Go on upstairs, Ryan," I ordered calmly.

Ryan glanced at my face and scooped Jamie up on his way by. "Come on, little man. Let's go play with some blocks."

I waited until Ryan was up the stairs before I spoke again. "Have you started running missions from the comfort of our living room?" I was doing my best to keep my voice even, but my tone must have alerted Edward that I was not in a trifling mood.

He hit a few keys and the action on screen froze. "Um, what do you mean?"

"Has the American military advanced so much that you can guide and conduct military operations on foreign soil while sitting your camo pants and a t-shirt on my couch?" I asked again with my arms folded across my chest.

"No . . ." Edward shook his head, looking confused.

I took three steps towards him and lowered my voice even further. "Do you mean to tell me, then, that you spent MONTHS away from this family, fighting in a war, only to come home and ignore us in favor of a game that emulates the warzone you just left? Are you THAT desperate for action, for violence?"

Edward looked completely taken aback. "What? No!"

"Then explain to me why you sit here, ignoring your son, when he's doing his best to get your attention? Why you refuse to go to Ryan's practices? I've had it, Edward. Night after night, it's the same thing. I've tried to give you time to get reacclimated, but you refuse to be part of this family again. You leave it all up to me, and if you haven't noticed, I can't handle it all anymore." By the end of my tirade, I was practically shouting. I regretted it, because I didn't want Ryan to think he hadn't been a huge help to me. The truth was, though, that I was exhausted.

For the first time since the week he came home, Edward really looked at me. Having looked in the mirror at the office that afternoon, I knew exactly what he saw. Dark bags underlined my eyes, my cheeks were sunken from the weight I'd lost while he'd been gone, and I was worn out. The only positives I could find were that my hair looked full and shiny, and it appeared that I'd put back on a little weight so my suit didn't fall off.

He blinked twice, and blinked some more as realization dawned. Only it wasn't the realization I'd expected.

"Oh, my God. You're pregnant," he whispered.

"What? No! Where in the world did you come up with that?" I wanted him to realize that he'd been an unhelpful lump, not come up with wild conjecture as to the state of my uterus. Only . . .

Edward laughed, probably for the first time in months. "You are. And I've been a complete shit. You're right. I hated that I had to leave, and it killed me that you seemed to function just fine with me. If I'd been paying attention, I would have seen how wrong I was. I'm sorry. But now, put your feet up. I'll take care of dinner. If you don't believe me, go take one of those tests you keep under the sink." He kissed me as he leapt up and swung his arm to the side to indicate the place he'd just vacated. "I'll get that stuff out of the way as soon as I get dinner started."

I shouldn't have been surprised that Edward was right. He'd always paid attention to details where I was concerned, the past couple of months notwithstanding. Even though I'd protested, I knew he was right deep down, and the two pink lines on the stick agreed.

That night was the turn-around for our family. Edward began participating again, and was as doting to me as he'd always been. Jamie wasn't so excited to get a little sister, but Edward and Ryan were thrilled. They talked it up to him every chance they got. The three of them even redesigned the nursery together.

Edward had always been a wonderful father, and a loving partner, but the day Charlotte Elizabeth Masen was born changed him. Where he had been sharp before, he softened. Where he'd been strict, he relented. From the moment he held her for the first time, she melted him and it was the sweetest thing in the world to watch.

While the last four years had been chaotic at best, they were also four of the best years of my life. I'd gotten to watch the son I'd thought was lost to me forever walk across the stage and accept his high school diploma. Together, Edward and I had taken our middle child to school for his first day of kindergarten and cried as Jamie walked away. Through it all, Lottie had been such a character and bright spot that could make any day seem sunny—even in Washington!

~SD~

Edward pulled in the driveway as I loaded Lottie into her car seat, and took the car keys from my hand as he passed.

"She dressed herself again, huh?" he said with a laugh.

"But of course," I said with bad, fake French accent. "I put a change of clothes in the bag."

Edward laughed again. "God knows she'll need it. You should have seen her the other night after 45 minutes of practice. I'm not sure she'd be recognizable by the end of the second game today."

Immediately after Jamie's Cal Ripken league game today, we were going over to the University to see Ryan play. They were the leaders in their region and got to play on their home field, so we were taking advantage and going to the game with our entire family. Even my mother and Phil were coming.

We pulled into the lot just in time to see the Cullens and my dad unload from their new minivan. Edward laughed as Esme pulled Maggie, their three-year-old, from her seat. "She did attend Ryan's games when he played as a kid, right? What the hell is that kid wearing?"

One night, three years before, a car accident on a logging road in Forks had taken the lives of both of Maggie's parents. Her mother had lived long enough to deliver a premature daughter, but not long enough to even name her. A diary found in their mangled car indicated that they had intended to name her Maggie, so the hospital staff did just that. Unfortunately, both parents had been in the foster care system and had no living relatives that would make suitable parents for the baby girl. Esme had been visiting Carlisle when EMS brought the couple in and had stayed with the new baby in the nursery whenever she was able. Eventually, after several conversations with us and Ryan, they adopted her. It was hard to find a more doted upon child. Currently, she was dressed in white and gold striped leggings and a purple Huskies infant jersey.

I snorted. Maggie loved playing with Lottie. She'd be as filthy as our kid long before we ever made it to Husky Ballpark.

We piled out of our SUV and hugged the people that had helped raise our oldest son, and had continued to be a huge part of our lives. Ryan waved to us, shouting that the game was about to start, and we walked together to the field. The Masens, my mother, and Phil were already there and had staked out two rows on the bleachers for us. Lottie ran to my mother, who had finally embraced grandmother-hood.

I smiled in appreciation. My dreams as a young mother may have been stolen, but in the end, what I got was a thousand times better than anything I could have ever imagined.

**A/N: The end. There are so many people I want to thank. First—thank you. If you are still reading this, thank you for hanging in there with me and not giving up. I appreciate it more than you can imagine. One day, there might be outtakes, so if there is one you want to see, let me know. I'm not making promises, though. This one already took me long enough! **


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